Yggdrasil University
by Kiwicki
Summary: The Arcobaleno enroll in a prestigious university that trains up-and-coming contractors and summons. Everyone is anticipating the wonders and almighty power of the Arcobaleno, but the question is who is qualified enough to be chosen as their partners? Through an unfortunate event, Reborn ends up contracting with probably the weakest summon in the world, Sawada Tsunayoshi. R27
1. Welcome

Hello! I'm really, really sorry about not updating _Resiliency_ for so long. It's been writer's block... :( But I am working on it. It's just at a slow pace. A very slow pace. Please don't kill me! This plot bunny just attacked me and I had the urge to write it all out of my mind before I forgot it.

The main pairing will be (Adult) Reborn x Tsuna. I didn't enjoy this pairing at first, but it grew on me. :) There will probably be Colonnello x Lal as well. And I know, there are tons of contractor/magic/summon stories, haha. Guess just add this in the pile. I hope you all enjoy it.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn and do not make any profit from this story. :)

*Luce is not part of the Arcobaleno in this! (I'm sorry, dearest Luce!) She will have another role.

*For the sake of matching colors (to flame attributes), Reborn's fedora band will be the color of yellow, rather than the usual orange.

*Their flame attributes will be referred to as magic attributes.

*Arcobaleno are closer in this fic because they grew up together.

*Sorry if anyone's slightly out of character. Forgive me! I'm still trying to grasp all their personalities. If they are, just tell me.

*There's a good chunk of explaining at the beginning, so sorry if it confuses you. Feel free to ask questions when you don't understand something.

*I guess they'd all be 17/18 here? And Luce is like 30.

**LINESLINESLINES**

The infamous and prestigious academy Yggdrasil University is known for it's immensely successful graduates. Ones who earn their diploma through the school have gone to do important and influential acts. They are hailed as geniuses in their field and prominent futures of the world. Here, thousands gather from across the world for a chance to partake in its excellent academic education as well as its rigorous and distinguished training regime. It is here that the exemplary and prodigious gather to claim the title of the best.

Yggdrasil is split into two factions: one for _Verktaki_ and another for _Stefna_. Verktaki and Stefna are human, both born with their powers. They're beings instilled with magic, but only the Stefna can utilize it, while the Verktaki are the ones who create contracts with them. However, the Stefna can only bring out their magical powers when under a contract with a Verktaki, and if the Verktaki becomes unconscious, the Stefna will not be able to use them.

Contracts are lifelong bonds created when a blood ritual is performed. A Verktaki can only contract with one Stefna, and the contract can never be unbound once set. Thus, Verktaki and Stefna need to choose carefully on who to form a contract with, seeing as how it's a one time thing. Hastily forming a contract may hinder the potential of both candidates, so the method is usually avoided. Forcing a being into a contract will have glitches as it is better to do a contract when both counterparts have come to a mutual amount of respect and trust. Additionally, both parties must give their consent to the creation of the contract for it to be successful.

Forming a contract allows both to combine their powers, meaning as each one grows, they both grow as a team. However, the only one able to unleash this power is the Stefna when called upon. If the two are in harmony, their powers will synchronize and their combined strengths will become incredibly overwhelming. It is at this stage where both the Verktaki's and Stefna's potentials are at it's highest and best.

Beings do not have to be at the same power level to be more compatible. They do not have to be the same flame attribute either. Having the two match does not necessarily boost one's chances at creating a better connection. What makes the difference in how strong the bond of the contract is, is how much one's heart can understand their partner's. Unfortunately, contracts between family members of the same blood cannot be made.

Yggdrasil is hailed as the reigning school when it comes to teaching both Verktaki and Stefna alike, so it is quite a feat one needs to accomplish to be admitted. There are other schools that let in Verktaki and Stefna, but very few when compared with regular human schools. Today, the grounds of Yggdrasil are littered with magical beings, welcoming in the new wave of students attending.

Each person in the gathering is considered a prodigy in their own right, but it is one group of people who has caught the attention of almost everyone else. High expectations have been tossed onto their shoulders as they are individuals who are regarded as superior to their peers. No doubt they will be a group the future will come to revere.

There were six in total, and seeing as how each one had the habit of always wearing the color that coordinated with their magic attribute, they were nicknamed as the Arcobaleno. Each person had claimed a color of the rainbow, excluding orange, thus the name. Coincidentally, they were all Verktaki. Students stared and gossiped as the group went by.

"Oh, it's them! I've heard of them. They're–"

"–the Arcobaleno. I hear they're some of the toughest guys of–"

"–the year. Che, they don't look all that great. I bet–"

"–they're really strong. I mean, look at them! I wonder–"

"–if I can go up to talk to them? They're so attractive! I wish–"

"–I could punch off those smug looks they have on."

However, there was a mutual question floating around the hordes of young adults.

"_Who are they going to contract?"_

Reborn smirked. He nudged Colonnello in the side and said, "That guy's glaring at you like he wants murder on his hands. It's understandable since you're such a failure."

Colonnello threw a punch at Reborn's head which he evaded easily with a side-step.

"Shut up, kora! I'll crush that fedora you cherish so much, you suit fanatic!"

"Better than an army dog clad in camouflage."

Colonnello made a move to kick the other man when a voice cut in.

"You two should stop fighting all the time."

They turned around to look at the other man. He wore traditional Chinese robes and had his lengthy hair in a tight braid.

"Fon, let them do as they please. It's only a matter of time before they kill each other and we'd be rid of them," a man in a lab coat drawled.

"Wrong, Verde! For it is the great me who will be doing the killing!" A boy in purple, tight fitting clothes with piercings proclaimed.

"What was that, Skull?"

"A-ah, nothing, Reborn." Skull hunched his shoulders in and ducked his head. Despite the immediate submission, Reborn decided to kick the other in the ribs anyway.

The blow flung him towards a person completely hidden underneath a long cloak and caused them to collide.

"Hey, watch it! I'll charge you double the usual if you bump into me again," the person spoke.

"Now, now Viper, no need to bring money into this. Greed is unbecoming," Fon chided.

Before the other could retort, a loud clap could be heard. Everyone turned their gaze to the front of the school. A woman with a warm smile and a flower tattoo under her left eye stood. She wore a white hat that bloomed like a mushroom and a white, full-length dress adorning two vertical orange stripes and one around her middle.

"Welcome to Yggdrasil University! I am the Head Mistress, Luce, and I am very glad to see all of your excited faces. You will be split up according to your classification and then into smaller sub-groups to be toured around the school. You will be shown your room right before lunch and find that your luggage has already been placed in it. After lunch, you will have two hours of free time before you are to meet me in the courtyard. Now, please check-in with one of the staff members in the lobby."

People shuffled into the main building and did as they were told. The school was rather large compared to others as it stretched out across many acres of land. There were multiple buildings stationed and peaceful, open fields. The classrooms were spacious, the interior was beautifully crafted, and the gyms were well equipped. The rooms were luxuriously furnished, too.

Reborn sunk into a chair when he finally arrived at his room. He chose to skip lunch since he wasn't hungry and had decided to go to his dorm. He surveyed the area to see that his suitcase was indeed there. It was small and compact since Reborn didn't really have things of personal value. He looked to the side of it and frowned when he saw a familiar bag. The door opened at that moment to reveal Colonnello.

"Oh, Reborn, you're my roommate? Just like old times, kora," the blond said as he went over to his bag.

"Yeah, yeah," Reborn replied. He titled his fedora hat so that it shadowed his eyes. He figured he might as well take a nap.

"So you didn't eat lunch either?" Colonnello turned around from what he was doing to face the man, but found he was already asleep. Colonnello rolled his eyes and put on the headband he had been searching for.

_'I think I'll go to the shooting grounds I found earlier..'_

**LINESLINESLINES**

New students filed into the courtyard from different directions. Luce was already in the middle, smiling brightly. The courtyard looked to be as big as a football stadium. It had short, soft grass underneath and was lined with white paint. It was boxed in by four other buildings, each providing a nice view of the area if one wished to be a spectator.

"Hello, everyone," Luce greeted, "I hope you have enjoyed your time here thus far. Now, what you are all standing in is the Battle Arena. Each day, the school hosts duels between two pairs to determine ranking and prowess as a team. These will be battles to test your strength and help you grow. They will also give you much needed experience. Keep in mind that all duels are not won by physical strength. You do not have to necessarily be excelled in fire power to succeed. Various methods are equally as good. You will come to learn it is essential to be both mentally and physically prepared to emerge victorious. Most importantly, these events will hopefully help you deepen your connection with your partner."

Everyone chatted excitedly at the news with their friends, eager for their chance to impress.

"You will be automatically be chosen for your duel date, but you can also sign up for dates. Also, it is imperative that you register your pair into the database when you have made a contract. This is for information purposes as well as to have a chance to compete in the Battle Arena. You will only be pitted against pairs of your own year by the computer, but if you wish to challenge upperclassmen, you may sign up for a date together. The upperclassmen will be arriving during dinner, as they have had most of the day off in order for us to welcome all you first years.

"Contracting is a careful and meaningful process, so the last thing we would want to do is rush you into it. However, we suggest that it would be best to make a contract within the first month."

A hand popped up and Luce allowed the child to speak.

"What if we already have a contract with someone?"

"Well, then you're off to a good head start. You and your partner can utilize the time to fully focus on getting better," Luce answered.

The boy fist pumped and shared a high-five with his partner standing next to him. A lot of other people starting bustling and smirking at the advantage they had.

"The rules of the Battle Arena are as follows:

1) Killing is not tolerated. Those who kill will be expelled and put on trial.

2) The word of the referee is absolute. Once he announces the battle over, it is over.

3) If the battle is deemed as a hazard to any individual's life, it will be stopped immediately.

4) In case of an emergency situation, the Head Mistress will step in and everyone will be evacuated to safety.

5) Fights are held in good nature and sportsmanship is advised. Cheating will not be tolerated.

6) Be respectful and courteous. Have fun.

I will personally be witnessing all battles, as well as some of my staff, to ensure that these rules are followed. Finally, all fights must be held within the arena as an official match. I will not permit a foolish scuffle to happen on school grounds other than in an official match inside the arena. If I catch you in the middle of one involving magic, I will personally hunt you down."

Everyone shivered at her menacing aura. After a few seconds of silence, she smiled warmly again.

"If there are no more questions, then you are all dismissed. Your schedules will be given after dinner. Oh! I almost forgot. Up there," Luce said while pointing to a large wide-screen monitor on the wall of the cafeteria that faced the arena, "is the news board. It tells of the upcoming duels, new contracted pairs, and any other news that needs to be told." With that, Luce turned to leave and the crowd parted to let her through. They began to disperse little by little.

**LINESLINESLINES**

Dinnertime rolled around fairly quickly. Students shuffled in, stomachs grumbling. The Arcobaleno had already claimed a round table near the glass walls of the front, casually eating their food.

"So I heard we're all rooming with each other," Fon stated.

Colonnello nodded. "Yup, I'm with Reborn, kora," he said around a mouthful.

Viper also replied. "I'm stuck with Skull."

"Ahh, we've been lumped together since primary school. I'm getting sick of it," Verde exclaimed as he stabbed his fork down.

"Doesn't look that way as you're still avidly gathering data about us," Reborn pointed out.

"It's for research. I want to prove I am the best out of all of us," Verde quipped.

"As if! I'm the best," bellowed Skull, puffing out his chest.

"Tch. You're not fooling anyone. We all know who the best is here, kora," Colonnello said.

"Yeah, me," they all said at once.

Reborn's eyes flashed. "Oh yeah? You all think you're better?"

"What about yourself? I'd bet my life that I'm better than you at combat skills, kora," Colonnello threw in.

"You'd be dead then," was Reborn's curt reply.

"Wanna go?" Colonnello ground out.

"Anytime," Reborn shot back.

"I'd trump both of you. My control over my mentality is the best out of everyone's. Your brains would waste away," Viper jeered.

"Martial arts will always be superior, Viper," Fon countered.

"Wrong, Fon, it is science that prevails. Science is the core of everything," Verde argued.

"I WOULD DESTROY ALL OF YOU!" The shout echoed off the walls and five pairs of eyes turned to Skull, as well as many others around them. Skeptical looks were thrown at him from around the table. "T-t-that's right! I'm the biggest daredevil here. I take the most risks, and they always pan out in my favor!"

Their bantering was cut short when a group of upperclassmen approached their table.

"Hey, freak! What's with the stupid, pathetic shouting?" one of them sneered. The others around him laughed. Skull shrunk in his chair. The other five narrowed their eyes at the newcomers. "You're the Arcobaleno, right? The hot topic that's flying around here." The guy took a minute to survey them. "You don't look so tough. You can't be all that good since you mostly look like losers to me."

"You bastard–" Viper hissed, standing up from his chair.

"Don't," Fon intervened. "It's not worth our time. Don't get dragged into their pace, Viper."

Glaring at Fon, they had a mental battle before Viper obeyed and sat back down in his chair.

"Oh, what's this? Goth kid's backing down? What a joke."

Fon could sense everyone's frustration around the table. It was reaching dangerous levels. He had to calm them down before hell broke loose. "Ignore them. They are but wind trying to move mountains."

However, Reborn paid no heed to his warnings. He leaned back in his chair and stretched his legs up onto the table. "Looks like you're pretty confident... Kensuke Mochida," Reborn said, fingering an ID card inside the open wallet in his hands.

The boy stared for a minute and then began patting his pockets. "Wha–! How did you–"

Reborn brought out the card and seemed to be observing it, twirling it around his fingers, until he threw it towards Mochida. The object whizzed past his cheek at lightning speed, grazing it and causing blood to spill out. It embedded itself into the marble of the pillar behind him. Mochida touched his face and brought his hand up to his eyes to see blood on his fingers. A smack to the face made him recoil a bit. A soft pat signaled something hitting the floor. Mochida then realized Reborn just threw his wallet in his face. Scrambling to pick it up, Mochida tried to redeem himself.

"What do you think you're doing, huh?" he asked threateningly.

"Simple," Reborn glowered and it made the group take a tentative step back. "I'm going to show you just how pitiful your half-assed confidence is."

"Hey, hey, Reborn, don't have all the fun, kora," Colonnello said, cracking his knuckles. "I've been meaning to do my regular sparring workout with you, but I guess I'll have to settle with these guys."

Fon sighed at their antics and Viper just smirked.

"H-hey," Mochida squeaked, "you're not gonna start a fight here of all places, right?"

Colonnello had a feral smile on his lips and he got up from his seat. However, he stopped when he heard Reborn.

"No," Reborn answered, catching everyone off guard. "We'll settle this in the Battle Arena. Sign up for Friday of next week. You'll see who the better man is after I win."

Mochida recovered from his slight fear and huffed. "As if, I'll have you and your Stefna kissing dirt after I'm through with you." Motioning for the others to follow, Mochida stalked off angrily.

People sitting nearby who had been listening in turned around quickly when Mochida left. They started to whisper fervently at the situation that just took place.

Colonnello slumped in his seat, sighing. "Aw, man, I really wanted to break his nose."

"Are you sure about this, Reborn?" Verde asked. "You haven't even made your contract. Seeing as how you just got here, and coupling that with your aloof personality, I doubt you even know any Stefna here."

"Doesn't matter." Reborn put his legs down and turned his chair inward towards the table.

"You've always been like this, Reborn. And you're too stubborn to back down, so I'll help you, kora." Colonnello grinned as he shot Reborn a look.

"I don't need your help, Colonnello. I'm not weak," Reborn said.

"We understand, Reborn, but seeing as how you can't even sign up for a date without registering your pair into the database first, I don't know how you're going to pull through this," Verde commented.

"We don't mean to disparage you, Reborn. We'll help because we want to help," Fon asserted.

"I'm charging you extra for this," Viper sniffed.

"It'll be good data." Verde's glasses gleamed as he pushed them up.

"I guess the kingly me will help out a commoner, such as yourself, as well," Skull said haughtily.

Reclining in his seat again, Reborn let his fedora shadow his eyes. "Do what you want," Reborn relented, a small smile in place.

**LINESLINESLINES**

"Excited?" Colonnello shot his head out from behind the magazine he was reading to grin at Reborn. They were back in their room with Colonnello stretched out on his bed and Reborn occupying the small table by the window.

Reborn looked up from his book and raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

Colonnello rose so that he was sitting on his bed cross-legged. He shut his magazine and put it aside. "For tomorrow!"

Reborn snorted at the comment. "I couldn't be more thrilled," he deadpanned.

Colonnello rolled his eyes and threw his magazine at Reborn who caught it without looking. Not missing a beat, Reborn shut his book and aimed it at his roommate's head, who dodged and let it hit the wall behind him.

"Just don't mess it up like you always do."

"I never mess up, kora."

The blond flopped back onto his bed and said he was going to sleep. Reborn sighed and got up to go over to his bed to do the same.

**LINESLINESLINES**

The two were up an hour before dawn. They were going through their morning workouts when Colonnello brought up an idea.

"Hey, I found a track field when I was looking around the place yesterday. Wanna race?"

"Are you sure you want to taste defeat so early in the day?" They both smirked as they felt the tension rise.

"The only thing I'm sure about is me kicking your ass, kora."

"Please, you can't even beat Lal, and she's light years behind me."

"I've gotten better, kora. You wouldn't even be able to touch the dust behind me because you're so slow, kora."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Always is."

They went outside to see Fon doing his morning routine in the middle of the courtyard. Fon paused in what he was doing to greet the two.

"Good morning," he chimed and he got up from his meditation stance.

"Morning," they both replied as Fon started warming up. They breezed past him and hurried to the track, eager to win the challenge. Fon stared after the two and sighed as he shook his head.

The track seemed to be specially made for the school as it stretched in an oval shape across many meters of land. It looked pristine and new with crisp white lines and shiny metal bleachers off to the side. As they started stretching, Reborn came up with the terms.

"It looks roughly a mile per lap, so first to twenty sound good?"

"Only twenty? Thirty."

"Your feeble muscles can handle that?"

"Shut up and get to the starting line, kora."

The race was finished in a flash with Reborn as the winner. Demanding a rematch, Colonnello suggested they move on to weight lifting. After that it was swimming, then shooting, and finally sparring. Panting from all the exercise, they still stood tall, as if to one-up the other by showing whose endurance was better. Suddenly, the clock tower's bell chimed, telling the students around the area that it was eight in the morning. Class started in an hour.

Grumbling, Reborn and Colonnello took the elevator up to their dorm to change and get ready. When the doors opened, what they found was something neither were expecting. Swarms of girls and some guys were littered around the hallway leading up to their door. A girl spotted them and let out a shrill squeak. "It's them!"

"Ah! Reborn! I heard you're looking for a Stefna–"

"Shove off, he's mine!"

"I'm really strong, I'd so get us to rank #1–"

"I'm most compatible with you!"

"No, me! Pick me!"

They all started running down the hallway towards Reborn and Colonnello. Scowling, Reborn jabbed his finger on the close button of the elevator. The doors shut before anyone could reach them in time. Once they started descending, Colonnello burst out laughing.

"I can't... believe... this is," Colonnello squeezed out, switching between laughs and catching his breath. Reborn sent him a glare and punched him in the stomach, making him gasp for air even more. Colonnello doubled over, but kept letting out little chuckles every now and then.

Later, they broke into their dorm by climbing in through one of the windows. They changed, grabbed their books, and headed out through the same window. Reborn had an unmoving frown on his face the whole time, while Colonnello was all smiles.

**LINESLINESLINES**

Well, there you are, the first chapter! I'll have the second one up sometime next week. Thank you for reading!


	2. A Fine Man

Hello! Welcome back! I'm overwhelmed from all the lovely attention you all have blessed this story with - be it by favorites, follows, reviews, or just reading! Thank you so much, you've made me so happy! :') I hope this story will live up to all your expectations!

*Ahh, **Guest**, who left a review, I wish I could've answered your questions when I got them, but sadly, I don't know how to contact you since it didn't provide a 'Reply' button to your review! Well, I hope the lack of answers wasn't too much of a downer. Yes, 10th Gen. will make that kind of appearance :) and I'm still working on all the details of the plot, so the second question may very well be true (that the University does have relation)!

**Disclaimer:** Same as last time!

**LINESLINESLINES**

All throughout the week, Reborn and the Arcobaleno were pestered by Stefna. They were more persistent with Reborn since they knew he had a deadline, but occasionally, some would saddle up to the others. Reborn was reaching his breaking point. After the first few, he refused to even hear the others out. He had enough of this insanity.

The Arcobaleno had made no move to stop the oncoming waves of people, much to his displeasure. They relished in his misery, which got them frequent kicks to the side.

"_But if we stopped them, that wouldn't be much helping, right?"_

"_Exactly! Then you'd have no takers to choose from."_

"_This is the quickest way. There's only three days left, you know, and you have to sign up a day ahead."_

Were their excuses. They spewed so much bullshit even Reborn was appalled. It was now Wednesday and he had made no progress. Of course, Mochida got wind of this, so whenever they would pass by each other, he would wear a knowing smirk, which served to piss Reborn off more. By the end of classes that day, Reborn was livid.

The Arcobaleno knew Reborn had long passed his limit, so they stayed clear of him and his flood of hostile aura. Yet, they still giggled like little school girls whenever he wasn't looking.

Reborn was walking off some steam when his phone rang. Eying the caller ID, he picked up.

"Reborn! I'm glad I got a hold of you. How is Yggdrasil?"

Reborn rubbed his eyes. "Fine, Grandfather. How are you?"

There was a pause. "I need to introduce you to somebody. He's enrolling into your school tomorrow."

"Who is he?"

A heavy silence answered him.

"Grandfather?"

"Ah, sorry, Reborn. He's a friend's... A good friend's son." Reborn's eyebrows knitted together when he caught the strange tone.

"Okay, I'll be there by tonight."

"Thank you, Reborn. Be safe."

**LINESLINESLINES**

Reborn nonchalantly walked along the sidewalk until he stopped and turned to face an open field. Reborn closed his eyes and thought of his grandfather's mansion before opening them again. In front of him were huge, iron gates. A small sprite appeared and floated down to him. A circle around Reborn emerged as it rose up and down, scanning him. Rolling up his right sleeve, Reborn extended his exposed arm to the creature even before it said, "Verification needed. Please follow the necessary steps for Method #468." The circle finished scanning and vanished, while the sprite floated onto Reborn's arm. It absorbed some of his magic before beeping in confirmation.

"Welcome, Reborn."

The gates flickered and a barrier was released, revealing plush doors and a mansion in the distance. The doors opened and Reborn stepped inside. When he arrived at the doorstep, a man was there to greet him.

"Good evening, Reborn, how have you been?"

"Quite well, thank you, Coyote."

"That's good to hear. Timoteo's in the main room."

Reborn nodded and headed in the direction of the room. He opened the door to see the sight of his grandfather sitting on a couch with a frail boy next to him. Coming closer, Reborn noticed the brown, spiky hair and deep-set amber eyes. A small smile was on his face as he conversed with Timoteo.

"Oh, Reborn!" Timoteo focused his eyes onto his grandson, a warm smile in place. "It's nice to see you."

"You as well," Reborn replied, hands in his pockets as he stood behind the couch across from Timoteo.

"Come, come. Sit down and I'll introduce you."

Walking around, Reborn sat down on the couch, facing his grandfather, and crossed his legs.

"This," Timoteo gestured to the small, brown-haired boy, "is Tsunayoshi Sawada."

Said boy got up and bowed. "Y-you can call me Tsuna." His voice was quiet and soft.

"And this," Timoteo pointed to Reborn, "is Reborn, my grandson." Reborn inclined his head slightly in greeting.

"Tsuna is the son of my late friend," Timoteo explained. Reborn noticed a hint of anguish in his eyes, no matter how hard the other tried to suppress it. There was a long pause before Timoteo leaned forward to rest his head on his clasped hands. "Please, Reborn," Timoteo whispered, closing his eyes, "promise me you'll always protect those you hold dear."

The door opened suddenly and Coyote stepped in. "Timoteo, we've received notice of an urgent matter." The old man sat up, tiredly sliding a hand down his face, and his expression sharpened. He rose quickly to go to where Coyote was.

"Call Visconti, he should still be at the barracks," Timoteo ordered. "It's a shame the others are away right now.." he muttered to himself. Timoteo went out the door, leaving the two alone, but not before saying to the two who remained seated, "I'm sorry, I have things to do. Talk amongst yourselves."

Reborn gazed at the closed door for a moment longer before fixing his view on Tsuna. The boy fidgeted in his seat and looked everywhere but him.

"Tsuna," Reborn spoke. Tsuna jumped slightly at the sudden call.

"Y-yes, Reborn?"

"You're going to attend Yggdrasil?"

Tsuna nodded frantically, scooting back further into the couch and away from Reborn.

"Are you a Verktaki?"

A hasty head shake no.

"So then you're a Stefna."

Another nod yes.

Sighing, Reborn stood up. Tsuna sunk further into the depths of the couch. He squeezed his eyes shut and raised his arms to cover his face when Reborn walked closer, thinking he was furious. A hard flick to the forehead made him open his eyes.

Rubbing the spot, Tsuna hesitantly questioned, "W-why'd you do that?"

"To get you to speak, dame-Tsuna."

"D-dame?"

"I get this feeling that you're terrible in academics and hopeless with physical sports."

Tsuna's head lowered when Reborn got it absolutely correct. "Yeah, I'm pathetic."

Reborn kicked Tsuna's leg, earning him a squawk.

Tsuna looked up at Reborn as he said, "You really are dame. If you're weak, just get stronger. Simple as that."

"Easy for you to say. From what your grandfather tells me, you seem perfect."

"Even the best start out as beginners, dame-Tsuna."

Tsuna's eyes brightened a little at the remark. He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "I-I guess you're right, Reborn."

Reborn went to sit back down. "By the way, with you being such an idiot, how'd you get accepted into Yggdrasil?"

Tsuna grimaced. "Oh, well..."

Suddenly, the room shook as a loud explosion was heard, followed by two others. Tsuna shrieked and covered his ears. Reborn's eyes instantly hardened and he headed towards the door.

"W-what was that? Where are you going, Reborn," Tsuna called after the man. Ignoring the other, Reborn set out to find the area that got bombed. He came upon a hallway that was caved in with rubble across the floor. He recognized the place as the hallway leading to his grandfather's office. Reborn hurried to the room, his senses on full alert. He crept towards the blown out opening , his back pressed up against the wall. Then he heard a yelp and a thud. Eyes darting toward the sound, he saw Tsuna gingerly prying himself off the ground. He glared at the other, signaling for silence.

"You hear something?"

"Go check out in the hallway."

Reborn bolted from the wall and yanked Tsuna up by the collar of his shirt. He darted into a room and shut the door swiftly and quietly. Labored breaths were the only sounds in the room as they waited for their pursuers to leave.

"Hey, squad three needs back up with the two guardians outside," a voice on the other side of the door spoke.

"Alright, let's go. We're done here, anyway."

The two inside the room stayed motionless. When Reborn could no longer hear the stomping of footsteps, he promptly hit Tsuna on the head.

"Ow!"

"Why'd you come, dame-Tsuna? We were almost found, thanks to you."

"I was worried, okay?"

Reborn scoffed and slowly opened the door. Sensing no one nearby, he made a dash into the office, Tsuna doing the same. The sight that greeted them was a gruesome one. The wallpaper was torn, the walls cracked with dents. The windows were shattered and blood stained the carpets. The furniture was ripped in half and the bookcases were crushed. Books and papers haphazardly covered the floor along with a dozen or so enemy bodies.

A figure sat, leaning against the large table in the back, a pool of blood surrounding him. Reborn instantly recognized him as his grandfather's Stefna.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

"Thought I heard a rat, but looks like there were two."

Reborn and Tsuna spun around to see six men – three Verktaki coupled with three Stefna. Tsuna shuddered in fear and Reborn took a defensive stance. Bullets fired from behind the men, catching everyone by surprise. Three of them leaped to the side while a Verktaki was brought down along with two Stefna.

"Reborn! Tsuna! Why aren't you in the main room? I just sent Visconti down to save you," Timoteo shouted as he ran into the office and dove to the side to avoid a magic strike. He tossed Reborn a gun while continuing to dodge blows. Reborn immediately released the safety and aimed at the opposing forces.

The last Stefna made a shield of magic to block the bullets while summoning a dagger to throw straight at Reborn. Reborn evaded the object, but realized the dagger was infused with electricity too late. The electricity lashed out and attacked Reborn, shocking him painfully. The Stefna's hand glowed as electricity sparked around it. He formed his hand like a gun and took aim at Reborn. He was about to shoot a bullet of electric magic until they all heard a resounding, "Stop!"

The glow on the hand vanished and Timoteo was seen holding a knife to the neck of the man contracted with the Stefna. The Stefna slowly lowered his arms and dispelled all his magic at seeing his Verktaki in danger. The other Verktaki had already been knocked out by Timoteo when he was focused on Reborn.

"Let them go," Timoteo commanded nodding towards Reborn and Tsuna, pressing his knife further against the skin of the man in his hold. The Stefna stared at Timoteo, then his Verktaki. Letting out a smirk, he backed up to the wall to clear a way for the exit.

Before either of them could move, the Stefna, with a wave of his hand, made his legs glow with magic and charged toward Reborn and Tsuna at an amazing speed.

"No!" Timoteo jabbed the man in his hold in the chin, making him fall to the floor from the pain. He threw the knife at the Stefna and ran towards Reborn and Tsuna, hoping to get there before him, when the man abruptly disappeared. Then, Timeteo felt a presence behind him.

"Just kidding," was all Timoteo heard before he felt wrenching pain. The Stefna had gotten behind him and forced his arm through his stomach from the back. Blood gurgled from Timoteo's mouth, falling to his knees and bending over.

Not even a second later, Reborn already had a bullet in the head of both the Stefna and his recovering Verktaki. After the last body hit the ground, Reborn and Tsuna rushed over to Timoteo's side.

Reborn used one arm to raise him up, and in the light of the dying sun, they saw the anguished face of Timoteo. The gaping wound through his body was pouring out blood by the buckets. His eyes were hazy, but still made out the figures of the two kneeling down.

"Re... born..."

"Don't speak, Grandfather. We need to get you to a hospital." Reborn pulled out his phone and started dialing, but a bloody hand covered his own.

Timoteo weakly shook his head. "It's already... too late for me," he choked out. Reborn stared at the man, his eyes filled with agony as he watched his grandfather die in his arms.

"Please," Timoteo rasped, "take care... of yourself. Look after Tsuna. I am burdened by guilt–" Timoteo coughed up blood– "...for being the cause of his father's death. I'm sorry... Tsuna... I wasn't there during your father's last hour."

Tears welled up in Tsuna's eyes as he clasped Timoteo's hand. "No, don't s-say sorry," he blubbered. "It wasn't your f-fault. M-my father's pride w-was being able to protect a-and serve under you."

Timoteo wheezed out a chuckle. "But I know... his greatest pride... was you."

That only made Tsuna sob harder.

"Be safe you two." Timoteo's voice got quieter with every word now. "Reborn." The man bent down lower to hear his grandfather. "I know you'll grow to be a fine man..."

"You always say that, Grandfather," Reborn choked out, letting his fedora shadow his eyes.

Timoteo smiled softly. "Because it's true. I regret... not being able to be there... when it happens."

With that, Timoteo passed away with a warm smile in the company of two mourning children. A grave moment passed the two, broken by the oncoming footsteps from the hallway. The two tensed as they awaited the person.

"Reborn, Tsuna! Thank goodness you're alright," Visconti said, relieved.

"Where's Coyote?" Reborn asked.

"He got knocked out back in the garden," Visconti informed. When he saw Timoteo on the ground, he sucked in a shuddering breath. His face contorted into one of suffering as he clenched his fists.

"Damn! I knew it, I _knew_ it and yet–!" His voice rose with every word. His rage was cut short as another man came running in.

"Hey! I found him!"

Visconti swiftly whirled around and summoned his Stefna. His Stefna glowed with power as she called upon magical weapons that appeared in the air. They easily subdued the man in the doorway, but more came tumbling in as back up. Soon, Visconti and his Stefna were being overwhelmed. The exit was being blocked by a mass of enemies, while the windows were no help since they were currently on the tenth floor.

With one combined blow, Visconti's Stefna got thrown back, her body colliding with a bookcase. She slumped over, out of commission. Visconti was on his last rungs as he fought and evaded attacks conjured by the enemy's Stefna.

Reborn knew that it would only be a matter of time before Visconti fell as well. He had to think of something, fast. But what could he do? He didn't even have a contract formed. His fighting skills were useless when pitted against magic, and the sheer number of enemies who were able to use magic was staggering. Reborn calculated his possible options at lightning speed. He couldn't let neither Visconti nor Tsuna die today as well. Reborn grit his teeth when he came to the only viable solution.

"Tsuna," he shouted over the chaos.

Tsuna looked up from Timoteo to Reborn, tears still streaming down his face.

"Make a contract with me."

Tsuna's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak, but Reborn cut him off.

"Now! It's better than dying here, isn't it?" Reborn reached for a shard of broken glass and slit the palm of his hand.

Tsuna felt numb all over. His heart was beating erratically and his mind was still having trouble processing all the events happening around him. However, when Tsuna looked at Reborn's serious face, he regained some composure and reached out his hand. He let the other make a cut on his palm, and watched as blood poured out.

Reborn hastily drew out the contract circle on the floor between them using his blood as ink. Usually, the ritual circle was done with black ink or some other medium, but Reborn was pressed for time and wasn't going to waste it searching for something to write with. He concentrated in making all the difficult markings and symbols despite the noise of battle. When he finished, he dripped his blood onto the center dot and Tsuna followed suit. The drawn circle glowed brightly as the blood was soaked up, leaving only a trail of light that traced where the blood once was. The circle rose in the air and doubled as one went to Reborn's chest and the other to Tsuna's. The circle shrunk to the size of a half-dollar and shined before dimming out. They each now had the contract circle imprinted on their skin, much like a tattoo, right where their heart was.

They both let out a breath neither of them realized they were holding. They heard a crash to the right and saw Visconti lying on his side, bloodied and unconscious.

"Dame-Tsuna," Reborn called, standing up.

"I know," Tsuna answered, his eyes flashing to orange for a second.

But before they could try anything, a strangled yell was heard from the hallway. The enemies inside the room turned to look back and saw four men clad in suits stride in. Reborn recognized them as Brow, Schnitten, Ganauche, and Bouche, his grandfather's remaining guardians.

"Sorry we're late, guys," Ganauche announced.

In a couple minutes, all the enemies were flattened.

"Tie them up," Schnitten ordered. "We'll interrogate them later."

**LINESLINESLINES**

The night was spent discussing possible suspects who could have arranged the attack, healing the wounded, and interrogation. A small funeral was planned to happen tomorrow morning with only Timoteo's closest invited. After hours of speaking, the guardians were weary both in mind and spirit. They had lost their boss and a very dear friend.

Reborn and Tsuna were thrust into the temporary hospital wing. Reborn glared defiantly at the guardians when he realized he would be left out of the meeting, but they were stubborn in getting Reborn checked out. Growling, Reborn stalked off to the hospital wing, but instead of ending up there, he sneaked around and had positioned himself so that he could eavesdrop on the conversation.

"I understand that," Bouche sighed as he threw some papers back on the table, "but the thing is, all our captured guests committed suicide as soon as they regained consciousness, so we can't be too sure on that assumption."

"Who knew they all had a capsule of poison as a replacement tooth," Ganauche grumbled.

"That aside, I have a feeling it was definitely that organization! Who else could have gotten past our security without anyone noticing?" Brow argued.

"They are indeed strong, but they lack control. Additionally, this ambush was not a spur of the moment kind of thing. It had been extensively planned on," Schnitten said, running a hand through his hair.

"Bottom line is that we don't have enough clues to pinpoint the enemy. We can only assume and we can only guess, both of which will get us nowhere," Bouche announced.

"None of them are coming up in the identity search," Ganauche informed, expertly searching through the computer codes and data files from the laptop in front of him.

"Damn it! Are we going to be able to do nothing, cowering in our shoes, and having Timoteo's death be in vain?"

"Calm down, Brow, we're all frustrated here," Bouche said.

"Well, we know one thing for sure. Timoteo's murder is not the only thing they are after," Schnitten deduced.

"Right, since they didn't leave after they killed him," Ganauche confirmed. "Their goal is probably the whole Vongola corporation. They want to kill each and every one of us."

"Could... Could this be related to Iemitsu's death?"

A silence briefly passed over the group.

"Reborn," Schitten called out, "I thought we told you to go to the hospital wing."

Reborn slowly stepped out from under the shadows. "As sharp as ever, I see, Schnitten. I will go to the hospital wing, but I will not be kept in the dark about my grandfather's killer."

"I understand, Reborn, but don't let revenge get the best of you. Timoteo wouldn't want you to stain your hands on his behalf."

"I'll do whatever I damn well please."

"Reborn, you're still young. I've watched you grow since the day you were born. Don't waste your life in anger. When Timoteo was dying, did he ever show a hint of anger towards his murderer?"

Reborn remained silent.

"You shouldn't either," Schnitten finished.

"I know this is a very hard thing to do. I've experienced the same when my parents were killed, but Timoteo helped me overcome it. You are like a grandson to all of us, Reborn. So please, continue growing into that fine man Timoteo believed you would. We all know you're strong, but strength isn't only measured by how hard you can punch or how many people you have beat. True strength is shown through the heart. Don't let us down," Bouche said, a smile on his face.

Reborn surveyed the table, observing each face seated around it. After a long mental struggle, Reborn let out a 'tsk' sound. "I've never let anyone down and I don't plan on starting, you idiots."

"There's our boy!" Ganauche beamed, jumping from his seat to put Reborn in a choke hold, while knocking off his hat and ruffling his hair. Reborn elbowed him in the stomach, making Ganauche let go. He coughed a little and nursed his stomach while saying, "Yep, your jabs still hurt a lot."

The three other guardians let out a laugh at the exchange. Reborn looked to all of them and smirked, adjusting his hat. He then left the room to go to the hospital wing. Before he left, one of them shouted, "Go check on Visconti and Coyote! And Tsuna!"

Reborn went down the hallway at a leisurely pace. Two blurs suddenly sped by him, forcing Reborn to hold his fedora down from the passing wind. He could faintly hear a, "You bastards had a meeting without us? Huh?" in the distance.

"Guess I don't have to check up on them anymore," Reborn said, chuckling.

The hospital wing had quieted down as all the wounded had now been attended to. Most of them were healing in separate rooms or sleeping. The place smelled of bandages, disinfectant, and sterile cleaning products. Nurses bustled about, while some doctors sat here and there, taking a break from all the strenuous work. One nurse spotted Reborn approaching and brightened at the sight.

"Ah, Mr. Reborn! I got word you were coming a few hours ago and was worried when I saw no sign of you. Now, let's see those wounds, shall we?"

Reborn followed the woman into a smaller room and let her go through the usual routine. Luckily, his injuries were minor, so he would be fully healed in a day or two.

"Alright, everything seems to be fine. Just make sure to not overwork yourself. You may rest for the night in one of the sleeping quarters, if you like."

Reborn nodded, but instead of heading towards the sleeping quarters, he went to the main room. He opened the door to see someone had lit a fire in the fireplace. The warm glow permeated the whole room as the darkness of night settled in. It was nearing midnight and Reborn finally felt tiredness enter his system. He stretched to get all the stiffness out. It had been a long day.

Going over to a couch, Reborn laid down in it, putting his arms behind his head. It was the same couch he had sat in earlier in the day. Reborn remained there, thinking deeply for a long while. It was only until he decided it was time to sleep that he noticed light snoring coming from the couch next to him. Turning his head, he saw Tsuna sprawled across the couch, looking exhausted even in his sleep. He was covered in bandages and gauze, but his peaceful face showed that his injuries weren't a bother.

Letting out a smile, Reborn titled his hat forward to cover his eyes and threaded his fingers together on top of his abdomen. He listened to the soft crackle of the fire and Tsuna's snoring until he too had fallen asleep.

**LINESLINESLINES**

The funeral was heart-wrenching. Reborn found it hard to finally part with his grandfather's grave when it came time. Tsuna had bawled his eyes out continuously throughout the ceremony. After the coffin was buried, Reborn stood in front of the gravestone in silence for what seemed like hours. When it was time to leave, Reborn finally said one thing.

"I promise, Grandfather. Sleep well."

Tsuna and Reborn had been ushered into a car, being told that skipping school was a no-no, especially so early in the year. For Tsuna, it was his first day, so it was obligatory that he show up. Tsuna had reluctantly left the place and was now sitting quietly in his seat. The car ride was void of conversation with the only sound being the hum of the engine.

When the two students arrived at school, it was already lunch time. Reborn left Tsuna to go to the head office to get officially enrolled, but sighed when he saw that Tsuna had no sense of direction. Reborn pinched the bridge of his nose when Tsuna was frightened by another statue in the front of the campus by accidentally backing up into it. He smacked Tsuna on the head and motioned for him to follow.

"You must be Tsunayoshi," Luce chimed as they walked in. "Welcome!"

Tsuna loosened up at seeing her friendliness and said in a small voice, "Thank you. Please call me Tsuna."

"You're a Stefna, so your dorm will be located in the Urðarbrunnr Hall. Here's your schedule and we'll have you take a tour around the school later in the day," Luce explained to Tsuna.

Reborn turned to leave while Luce retold the basics of the university to Tsuna. When he had opened the door, he heard Luce ask, "Oh, and do you have a contract formed yet?"

Tsuna fidgeted as he stammered, "U-uh, well, I-I..." Tsuna glanced back at Reborn.

Reborn shut the door and faced Luce. "Yes, he does. With me."

Luce blinked, surprised. Then, she gave a shining smile. "You suit each other well."

Tsuna blushed at the statement and Reborn raised an eyebrow. Clasping her hands together, Luce said, "Well! Let's get you put into the database!" A screen popped up in front of her and she started typing away. After a minute or so, the screen disappeared and she peered at Reborn.

"Do you still want to sign up for a battle on Friday, Reborn?" Luce looked expectantly at him.

Reborn leaned against the door and crossed his arms. "Of course, Head Mistress."

Laughing, Luce said, "Call me Luce!" A different screen popped up and she began typing again.

"It's all set," she announced, the screen disappearing. "And don't give me that calculating look! I like to be informed of what my children are interested in. You and your friends are very popular, so of course I'd hear news about you."

"We are not your children, Head Mistress, we are students."

"Which makes you my children! Now shoo! You've missed most of the day already. I hope you enjoy Yggdrasil University, Tsuna!"

**LINESLINESLINES**

Students were chatting happily while eating. Some lounged around in the courtyard, either sitting on the grass of the arena or leaning against a nearby tree. The cafeteria was packed, as usual, with the Arcobaleno occupying the round table they had yesterday.

Colonnello stared at his sandwich, bored. "I wonder where Reborn is, kora."

"You said he left yesterday to visit his grandfather, right? Something must have happened. Reborn isn't one to skip," Fon concluded.

Viper's ears perked up at the sound of loud shouting and fierce whispers coming from outside. "Seems like something has happened outside as well."

Curious, the Arcobaleno got up and went out into the courtyard. They saw a massive crowd, all huddled in front of the entrance. Their eyes were trained on the wall above.

"Must be what's on the news board," Verde said as they walked around everyone to catch sight of it.

The Arcobaleno looked on, mildly interested in what all the fuss was about, but nothing seemed particularly eye-catching. The daily news report, which took up most of the screen, was scrolling down slowly, and next to it were two small columns for the battle dates and contract updates. The weather forecast was in a little corner as well as the time of day. Then it hit them.

"Well, now we know why he's late."

At the top of the contract column, signaling it was the newest on the list, were two names. Those same names were also located on the battle dates column for tomorrow against Mochida and his Stefna.

"Reborn and... Tsunayoshi?"

**LINESLINESLINES**

Geez, it was a party up in that office. Hope you enjoyed it!

The next update will probably be around one to two weeks. Most likely two weeks, haha. It's been getting busier as of late. Well, until next time! Thanks for reading! :D


	3. The Start

Hello! Welcome back! Thank you for all the wonderfulness you have given this story! Brings a tear to my eye. :') I apologize for being late! I wrote half of the chapter on a laptop, but then it crashed and I lost everything. Boo, so I had to type it all back from memory. I kinda rushed to get this out, so sorry if there are a million mistakes. I read it over a couple of times, but I'm sure I missed quite a bit. (And oddly, at a certain point, my mind decides to stop working and has me write in different tenses. I tried to catch all of them, but sorry if you have to see a hideous display. D:)

At least this chapter's super long!

*Cervello are slightly OOC in this since I need them to be a more talkative announcers of the battles, haha.

*Lots of scene changes, which means lots of line breaks. Be prepared! Haha.

*Oh, so since I'm not going to put honorifics in this, I'm going to alter the way people call each other. (Ex. Tsuna says Hayato, instead of Gokudera-kun.) Sorry if it bothers you.

**Disclaimer:** Same!

**LINESLINESLINES**

"It's here, it's here! It's today!"

"Oh man, I can't wait!"

"Who do you think will win?"

"Reborn, obviously! But who's this Sawada guy..."

"Whoever he is, he must be really strong to contract with Reborn, right?"

"I'm so jealous. I wanted to be with Reborn!"

"Oh wait! I know Sawada! He transferred into my class today."

"What's he like?"

"Uh... well... he's really–"

"Cool?"

"Handsome?"

"Powerful?"

"Cowardly and pathetic."

"... Eh?"

"Hello, everyone! We see all of you have gathered to witness this highly anticipated duel. We are the Cervello twins and it's our job to be the narrators of every battle," a girl with long pink hair and a black eye mask on said. The identical girl next to her nodded.

"It's our job to relay everything that happens. The Head Mistress and a couple of staff members are here to supervise, so no breaking the rules. We will also be the referees of every battle. As you can see off to the side, there are two small buildings in which each team can get prepared. It is almost time for them to come out, so make sure to give them a warm welcome when they do."

The audience let out a resounding roar and clapped vigorously. They were all pumped up for the first Arcobaleno battle. They were seated on bleachers, which were brought out every time there was a battle, and stomped their feat accordingly to create more ruckus. Some stared at the two small buildings excitedly, hoping for the teams to come out sooner. Meanwhile, inside...

"R-R-R-Reborn! I-I didn't know w-we had to f-fight!"

"Get it together, dame-Tsuna. The Head Mistress should have told you about it yesterday."

"B-but I didn't think _I _had t-to fight! I-I... I _can't_!"

"If you thought you weren't going to fight, then who did you think was?"

"I don't know, _you_?!"

Reborn smacked Tsuna on the head, making the other cringe.

"Stop being so spineless. You're the Stefna here, I can't utilize my magic."

"B-b-but I've never fought before! I don't even know h-how to activate my magic."

Reborn sighed and tightened the tie around his neck.

"You'll learn."

"B-but–"

"Don't question it. I'll back you up when you need it, so just concentrate on using magic."

"I-I know you're strong, Reborn, but a-are you sure? I-I'm really weak, so I'll drag you down..."

"Dame-Tsuna, we're going to win, no matter what."

Tsuna was about to protest again, but nodded hesitantly instead. "Okay." Tsuna steeled himself and walked out of the room with Reborn, a new-found confidence flowing through him. When the door opened to the arena, Tsuna finally heard the clamor outside. He raised his eyes and saw the area packed with cheering students. Suddenly, his legs felt like jelly.

"Hiiieee! R-R-Reborn! Th-there's so many people! Too many people! I-Impossible! I can't do this!"

"Tsuna." Despite the loud noise, Tsuna could hear Reborn's voice very clearly. Tsuna slowly lifted his head to look at Reborn. "If you believe you can't, then believe _we_ can, _as a team_."

Tsuna's eyes widened and he swallowed thickly. He clenched his fists and followed Reborn to the middle of the field where the opposing team was waiting.

"Both teams have gathered. It is time to begin the battle. There will be an hour on the clock. Within that time frame, if one side admits defeat or is determined unable to continue, then that team loses and the other is declared the winner. Every twenty minutes there will be a little surprise coming, so be prepared," the Cervello twins announced. People began talking amongst their peers at the last sentence. "Keep in mind the rules of the game. Now, shake hands. The sound of the bell will signal the start." The two walked off to opposite edges of the arena and stood, waiting with a mic in hand.

Reborn and Mochida shook hands as well as Tsuna and Mochida's Stefna.

"Hn, found yourself a Stefna, I see, Reborn," Mochida sneered.

Reborn only tilted his hat and gripped harder than necessary, making Mochida squeal like a pig.

"It's n-nice to meet you. Let's have a good match," Tsuna said meekly as he was shaking hands with the other Stefna.

The Stefna glared at Tsuna and seemed to size him up. When they let go, the Stefna said, "Ahh, Kensuke, this guy's a total joke. I wonder why he's even here."

"The way I see it, they're both losers, Asaba," Mochida replied. With that they both laughed and went further into their half of the arena. Reborn calmly regarded them while Tsuna lowered his head.

"Alright! Let the battle begin!" Luce exclaimed as she rung the bell.

Reborn immediately leaped towards Asaba, kicking him in the stomach. Asaba flew towards Mochida and knocked them both to the ground. As they started getting up, Reborn swiftly punched Mochida in the chin and pinned down Asaba. Tsuna could only stand frozen in the middle of the field.

Mochida wobbled on his legs, trying to find proper balance when Asaba broke from Reborn's hold and used his arms on the ground as a pivot to aim a back kick at his opponent's head. Reborn dodged it and grabbed onto Asaba's leg to fling him towards Mochida. The two collided once again and fell with a heavy thud.

"Shit, what is this? Get off me, Asaba," Mochida snarled. He pushed the other off and charged at Reborn in fury.

Reborn easily avoided all the hasty punches, which only enraged Mochida more. After a few more haphazard punches, Reborn caught one of Mochida's fists and delivered an uppercut to the elbow joint. Mochida yelled out in pain, while throwing another punch with his other arm. Reborn crouched down to evade it and swept his legs across the ground to knock out Mochida's legs from under him.

Mochida crashed to the ground on his side. He shakily got up on his hands and knees, but in one second, Reborn was looming over him with an arm raised. With one clean chop to the back of the neck, Mochida collapsed onto the floor of the arena, unconscious.

Asaba had recovered somewhat and was creating a blade of magic around his arm before Mochida was taken down. He ran over to where Reborn was to attack, but realized midway that his magical reinforcement was gone. He cursed heavily when he noticed his partner was down for the count. "Dammit, now I won't be able to use my magic," he muttered. He whipped out punches and kicks, but it was evident that Reborn was only toying with him. He growled when he was yet again tossed to the floor like a used rag. As he was pushing himself up, he saw Tsuna in the corner of his vision, looking scared and panicked. Smirking, he stood and darted towards the boy.

Reborn instantly knew what he was planning and ran after him. Tsuna finally broke out of his shock in time to duck from the oncoming jab at his throat. He shrieked and crouched down, arms covering his head. Asaba moved to kick Tsuna, but by that time, Reborn was already there and blocked the attack with a grunt. In an instant, he had pounded Asaba's face in the grass with the palm of his hand. He lifted him up and kicked him all the way back to where his partner was.

"Dame-Tsuna," Reborn said, lifting a foot to place on Tsuna's crouched back, "why aren't you doing what I told you to?" He leaned in to add more weight to the leg with each passing second.

"A-ah, ow. Sorry, Reborn. I was just... admiring the grass..."

"Oh? Then let me help you." Reborn moved his foot to Tsuna's head and pushed down.

"Hiiee! I'm sorry, Reborn! It's my first time in a fight, cut me some slack," Tsuna wailed around a mouthful of grass. Before Reborn could answer, a loud voice cut through the air.

"O-overwhelming! Completely overwhelming; I couldn't even get a word in! Reborn has Team Mochida struggling to find a footing, while he hasn't even broken a sweat! However, oddly no magic has been exchanged as of yet. Are they saving it for a big finale? And what's happening here? It looks like Reborn is merciless even towards his partner! Ah, but the first twenty minute mark has been reached! Let's see what the Head Mistress has in store," one of the Cervello twins relayed.

With a wave of her hand, Luce had constructed the arena into a forest. Thick Redwoods hung over the students, and other vegetation surrounded the area. Reborn and Tsuna tensed as the other team, as well as the audience, disappeared from view. It was eerily quiet and a heavy fog had settled down, making everything seem dim. It felt like they were deep inside the wilderness.

"Looks like it's an environment change! The two teams have now been seamlessly hidden within a dense, forest-like area. Let's see how well each team can adapt and use this to their advantage. Everyone outside the arena will be able to witness the action through our camera monitors. Also, a magical sound barrier has been placed around the arena to act as both an encasing wall and a way to block off sound from coming in. But don't worry, we'll still be able to hear what's going on inside."

Multiple screens appeared in the air around the invisible, slightly gleaming barrier, showing the faces of Reborn, Tsuna, Mochida, and Asaba. The crowd cheered for their favorites like rabid fans at an American football game.

**LINESLINESLINES**

"Yo, Kensuke, your ass up yet?"

"Shut up, Asaba. Ouch, goddamn, my arm and neck. What's with the trees?"

"An environment change, but this is more to our style, right, Kensuke?"

"Yeah. I'll make that bastard pay for doing this to me."

"Hey, I got an idea. I was right about his Stefna. He's such a weakling, he couldn't even move."

"That's makes things easier, eh? I bet his magic's the same, so we'll just go after him first."

"This is where my attribute really comes in handy. You better not get knocked out this time, Kensuke. We've only got about ten minutes before the next change."

"Stop getting' antsy. It's not like we're going to lose. What's the plan?"

**LINESLINESLINES**

"Focus."

"I _am_!"

"Focus harder, idiot. It shouldn't be that difficult."

"Oh, easy for you to say, Mr. I'm-Good-At-Everything."

Kick.

"I don't think you get it, dame-Tsuna. Battles aren't solely based on fighting. They teach you how to be stronger, show you how you can grow, and grant you valuable experiences. Victory isn't the only reward you can obtain."

"Argh, but... I'm not really good with these kinds of situations."

Another kick.

"Stop the loser talk."

"Ow! Why are you so violent with me? I'm your partner! I'm starting to think you actually enjoy torturing me."

Reborn smirked, casually leaning against a nearby trunk. "Of course not."

_'No, he enjoys it. He definitely enjoys it,' _Tsuna thought, crying a little inside.

After a little while of concentrating, Tsuna was still holding a determined look, but it became laced with concern and confusion. "I don't get it... I feel your magic flowing into me, but for some reason, I... can't feel mine."

**LINESLINESLINES**

Asaba sat against a stump and closed his eyes. He exhaled when he tapped into his magic. Mochida impatiently stood a foot away, thinking the whole process took too long. After a few minutes, Asaba's informed, "Got 'em. South thirty-two degrees sixteen decimal eight fifty-seven. East twenty-four degrees fourteen decimal five eighteen."

"Hm, not as far as I thought. Let's go," Mochida commanded. They weaved through the trees with ease as they closed in on their targets.

When they were a couple of meters away, Asaba held out an arm to halt them in their hunt. "Looks like something needs to be in order first. We can't do anything interesting with those cameras breathing down our necks, so..." He flicked his wrist and a thick, ominous mist covered a wide range of the forest, smothering both teams. "As each camera takes time to adjust to the new setting, we can destroy them and blame it on the crossfire."

"Great, but now_ I_ can't see dumbass. I had enough trouble with the fog," Mochida snapped.

"You've been through this technique over a dozen times, I think you can handle it. Them," Asaba replied, jerking a thumb towards the other team's direction, "not so much. And all that matters is that _I_ can see, dumbass. Now move where I tell you to."

**LINESLINESLINES**

"I think they're here, Reborn."

"What made you think that, dame-Tsuna? The obviously magical mist that surrounded us or the clearly noticeable murderous aura a few trees off?"

Tsuna frowned and crossed his arms. "Just saying."

"And I say, stop using your mouth and start using your head. They're almost upon us and you've made non-existent progress."

"It's hard! I still can't find my magic and I can't use yours since we have to be more in sync!"

"No excuses. Any more and I will be forced to shoot you and blame it on the spoils of battle."

"What?! You can't do that! You're not supposed to kill people, and you don't even have a gun," Tsuna yelled, turning around in a huff.

A definite click was heard dangerously close to his head. Tsuna didn't dare turn around to look at Reborn who was surely pointing a loaded gun at him.

"Y-you wouldn't," Tsuna squeaked.

There was a pause. "You're right," Reborn said while cocking his gun slightly.

Tsuna let out a breath and chanced a peek to see Reborn putting the gun back inside his suit jacket. He made note of how the safety wasn't put back in place.

_'Somehow, I wouldn't put it past him,'_ Tsuna thought.

**LINESLINESLINES**

"Alright, that takes care of our two. Now we need to go for theirs. Don't worry about the other cameras since they're not specifically focused on us. They're just stragglers, so they're unimportant. Let's see... Reborn's should be 20 meters high and straight ahead if you go at an angle of 78 degrees Southeast," Asaba told Mochida. "I'll get Sawada's. Meet back here afterward."

Asaba closed his eyes for a second to search and then opened them while stating, "It seems like they split up. Saves us the trouble of doing it then. Got that, Kensuke?"

Mochida lazily waved a hand toward Asaba and trudged towards his assigned camera. Asaba scoffed at his partner's antics and headed for a different path. The mist soon enveloped them as they got further apart.

Mochida had nothing against trees. Actually, he liked them. They were ideal for climbing, and the branches provided great leeway for all kinds of activities. But, dammit, did it have to be Redwoods? The trunks could practically be vertical air strips, and it was like trying to overcome the Great Wall of China. Mochida griped during the entire climb up, keeping mind of his broken arm, too. He went very carefully, fully knowing that if he even so much as scratched the bark, Reborn would catch on. After muscle-straining hard work and multiple swear-inducing splinters, he checked to see if he was at the correct height.

In the distance, Mochida could make out a small, floating camera. Inching closer by way of a branch, he pulled out a dagger from the holster attached to his belt and took aim. With surprising force and accuracy, the weapon darted forward and pierced through the poor object. The camera plummeted to the ground as Mochida fist pumped at his success. He turned around only to come face to metal with the barrel of a gun.

"Chaos."

**LINESLINESLINES**

Asaba had found Tsuna's camera easy enough and conjured a surge of magic to take it out. As he was releasing it, he heard an ear-splitting, girlish scream, causing him to barely make contact. The camera sparked and flitted around weakly, dropping a few meters. Asaba growled at his miss and darted after it, only to remember sensing Tsuna nearby earlier. He knew the plan entailed for the both of them to go after the idiot together, but he couldn't resist the temptation.

"Well, well, if it isn't Sawada."

Tsuna stiffened at the voice and looked in the direction it was coming from. The mist seemed to get thicker as the voice continued.

"What's a loser like you doing here alone?"

"...Admiring the grass?"

Asaba barked out a laugh and sent a cloud of mist towards Tsuna. Tsuna squirmed as he felt roots entangling themselves around his body. They restricted his movements and tightened with each passing second. Tsuna squeezed his eyes shut and tried to concentrate. He had to make use of Reborn's magic somehow. It was difficult since it was more powerful than what he could handle at the moment. Tsuna could hear Asaba snicker in the background.

"Scared yet?" a voice hissed to the left. Tsuna craned his neck to look, but saw only thick mist.

"Should be," another voice remarked behind him. Tsuna's grimaced as the roots were beginning to become unbearable.

"I can make reality a living hell."

"Y-you can only alter my sense of reality. You're... an illusionist, aren't you?"

"Oho. More level-headed and perceptive than I had originally thought."

"So you have a mist attribute..."

"What of it? Knowing is only half the battle. Don't assume my illusions are cheap enough to be one-upped by a weakling like you. It doesn't matter if you realize their true nature or not. They're still going to be able to kill you," Asaba explained. A thin root shot out to wrap ruthlessly around Tsuna's throat.

Tsuna mustered up all his strength to try and control Reborn's magic. He grit his teeth as a burst of magic erupted from his body, dispelling the roots and causing Asaba to stumble back. Once freed, Tsuna ran into the cover of the woods, clutching his chest. The blast had hurt him as well since he forced it to come out. So much for trying to be in sync. His breaths were ragged as he ran through the trees. He was sure Asaba was hot on his heels, boiling with rage.

"You can't escape my reach, you bitch. I can sense you anywhere within my mist," Asaba called.

A root lashed out at Tsuna, making him fall. A sharp, stinging pain came from his leg. He inspected it and saw a long gash on the side oozing with blood. Gritting his teeth, Tsuna got up and continued running, albeit slower than before. He tried desperately to think of a way to counter.

Every turn came a terrifying illusion, causing Tsuna to jump in surprise and duck for cover repeatedly. Fear crept into his system with each step. Tsuna decided to hide behind a tree to catch his breath.

_'No, Tsuna,'_ he admonished, grabbing his trembling body, _'don't be scared. You can beat him.'_ He couldn't stop his hands from shaking. _'Come on, concentrate.'_

Roots attacked the tree he was behind, which set Tsuna off running again. One grazed his arm and another thwacked his back, throwing him into a tree. Tsuna coughed violently, feeling a rib or two break, but got up nonetheless. Before he could get far, a root snagged his foot, causing him to fall.

"Pathetic. How'd you get it in with an Arcobaleno?"

_'A what-ba-what?'_ Tsuna asked himself as he got to his hands and knees. Asaba caught his confused look and his lips curled in a snarl.

"Tch. Worms like you shouldn't even exist," Asaba spat at him.

Tsuna flinched from the comment. He couldn't find the words to fight back. His fingers dug into the dirt and he shut his eyes. _'He's right...'_

A root shot out and made Tsuna tumble over. He stopped when he slammed into another tree. He weakly tried to get up, but roots latched onto his arm and yanked, making him lose his balance. Some wrapped around his torso and pulled him into a standing position while another remained around an arm.

"Broken bones really suit you more."

Tsuna's fearful eyes widened as he realized what Asaba meant. He shook his head and croaked, "N-no."

"What's a few bones here and there? It's not like you're going to use them anyway." The roots coiled tighter and firmly stretched out his arm. One raised to loom threateningly over it. Tsuna started to protest, but something wrapped painfully around his mouth.

"Shut up," Asaba grunted.

Asaba's face contorted into malicious glee as he swiped the root down onto Tsuna's arm. There was an audible crack as Tsuna's muffled scream filled the area. Asaba laughed.

"Pathetic, pathetic! I love beating down weaklings like you! You need to be shown your place!"

At the last word, Asaba flung Tsuna into the ground. A shuddering cough racked through Tsuna's body, and specks of blood decorated the grass. He curled up into a ball and whimpered from all the pain. He started feeling blows from all around; the attacks easily injured him further. Tsuna bit his lip and became frustrated. Why couldn't he do anything?

"_If you believe you can't, then believe we can, as a team."_

Tsuna was startled by the statement inside his head. He recalled the conversation he had with Reborn before the duel and his eyes brightened a little. Tsuna's resolve came back little by little as he remembered Reborn's words.

_'I can't let him win. We can do this –_ I_ can do this. I have to stick to the plan,' _Tsuna reassured himself.

Tsuna ignored the oncoming attacks as he focused all his attention onto the magic inside him. He could still feel Reborn's magic flowing through him, and it gave him a sense of security. His body began to glow as he tried to call upon more power.

Asaba ended his onslaught to gape at Tsuna's glowing form. His hair bristled as he caught wind of the magic pouring from the boy. His roots vanished and he took a cautious step back. Soon, the two were swallowed in a bright light.

**LINESLINESLINES**

"What an upset! It seems the cameras really are taken out of commission and the others inside the forest are not responding. We just double checked and nothing seems to work. I'm sorry everyone. You'll have to wait until we get everything back online. Oh, we almost forgot, it has been the second twenty minute mark, despite being later than usual! Sorry about that, we were too caught up with fixing the camera signals. It is time for our lovely Head Mistress to unleash a new surprise!" The Cervello twins turned to Luce and where she was sitting.

Smiling, Luce stood and raised her arm while it glowed a warm orange. After a while, she sat in her chair again. "It's done."

"Great! Care to elaborate?"

Luce shook her head, a cheerful look in her eyes. "You'll have to find out when the cameras are restored."

The Cervello twins sighed at the let down. The crowd began to get rowdy again due to the lack of screening.

"In the meantime, Sister, how have you thought of this fight so far?" One of the Cervello asked the other, attempting to keep the audience preoccupied with their review.

"I don't know, Sister. We haven't seen much of anything, really. It is the first Arcobaleno battle, so I have no idea what to expect."

"Yes, yes. The only things we could pick up after the cameras went down was a girly scream and sounds akin to gunshots."

"Mmhm. The last we saw of our two teams, they each looked to be planning a strategy of some sort."

"They're probably duking it out right as we speak!"

"How exciting!"

"Ah! Sister, Tsuna's screen seems to be picking something up!"

Everyone's eyes darted to the Stefna's lone screen. Their attention was heavily trained on the static filled box. It flickered a few times in and out of focus, alternating between a hazy video and static. In one quick exchange, the screen displayed a glimpse of a clear video showcasing a distinct figure, before cutting to static for good. Silence reigned as all the people present took in the sight.

"...Was that a chameleon?"

**LINESLINESLINES**

Currently, Asaba was bent over on the floor, laughing uncontrollably, and pounding the ground with a fist.

"A c-chameleon? He s-summoned a _chameleon_?!" Asaba gasped between chortles. "Oh, man, I was worried for nothing." He wiped a stray tear and took another glance at Tsuna. He burst out laughing again.

"Um, hi," Tsuna greeted awkwardly, while holding the small creature in his hand. His only response was for the reptile to stick out its tongue and lick him on the cheek. Other than that, it remained unmoving and impassive. The camera that was flimsily floating towards them dropped dead a foot away.

Laughter still resounded throughout the area. Asaba was too caught up in his fun to register anything else going on. "If only Kensuke was here. I wonder if he's back at the meeting place."

"No, but he is unconscious with a bullet lodged in his leg."

Asaba whipped around and unceremoniously let out a girlish shriek, much like Mochida had. Reborn gave him a cool stare as he stood off to the side with his hands in his pockets.

"W-what," Asaba stammered, "he...?"

Reborn's features changed to condescending as he regarded Asaba with sharp words.

"Did you not notice when your magic dissipated?"

Asaba fervently shook his head no as he crawled backwards. His mouth wouldn't form proper words; instead, it was poised as if ready to scream again.

"Or when your contractor was suffering?"

Another shake.

Reborn glowered at the other, his eyes narrowed in disgust. "Take care of your own people before you come after mine." He raised an arm to point a different gun from the one Tsuna saw earlier at Asaba's head. "A weak contract between scum such as you two would never be able to defeat us." Reborn stepped closer until the gun was directly aimed at Asaba's forehead.

"W-wait! I-I–" Asaba sat frozen on the spot.

"Die."

A high pitched sound was triggered as bright ball of light shot out. The light sunk into Asaba's head and his eyes rolled back. He crumpled to the ground instantly.

"R-Reborn," Tsuna started, hesitantly, "you didn't... kill him, did you?"

"What do you think?"

"Right. What's that gun and how did you get it? It didn't look like bullets coming from it."

Reborn spared him a glance as he kicked the body to a tree a couple of feet back. "It's a magic gun, though I've never seen one this well made before. It allows me to use my magic as bullets."

"Wow, it's the first time I've heard of them."

"It's not common knowledge. As to where I got it, it must have been one of the surprises. Mochida got one as well, but he was already unconscious. Drag him over to his teammate – he's somewhat behind you."

Tsuna frowned, but got up to do it anyway. The chameleon jumped down from his hand to allow him to pick up the body. Reborn surveyed the reptile, noticing it for the first time. Catching Reborn's speculative stare, Tsuna said, "I summoned him. He says his name's Leon."

Reborn raised an eyebrow at that.

"Well, he did!" Both pairs of eyes zoom in on the little figure. It miraculously changes its shape into a sign that reads 'Leon'. "See?"

Reborn decided to drop it and pointedly reminded Tsuna of his job by saying, "Mochida."

Tsuna grumbled, but complied anyway, his body aching in protest. Tsuna used his one arm to lug the Verktaki to where Asaba lay. It took a while until he realized the trail of blood on the ground.

"Hiieee! Reborn! He's b-bleeding!"

"And?"

"Y-you used a _real_ gun on him?!"

"I didn't have the other one at the time. I just shot him in the thigh; he'll live. Now keep dragging, or do I have to repeat myself another time?"

Tsuna kept his mouth shut and pulled Mochida more slowly. A strained expression was etched on his face, but he completed the task regardless. Afterward, he went over to Reborn, eying the gun in the man's hand warily.

"What? I have a license."

"That's not the problem here. It's that you're even _allowed_ to have one."

Reborn kicked Tsuna to the floor and pulled back the safety on his gun. "What was that?"

"Hiee! I'm sorry, don't shoot!"

A camera flew towards the two and encircled them. Reborn observed it nonchalantly, while Tsuna barely noticed it, as he was still on the floor.

**LINESLINESLINES**

"The mist seems to have gone, so now our outer cameras can go in," a Cervello announced happily.

"From the looks of it, I think we're going to find our winners," her twin guessed.

"Oh, one has found them! It's clear to me that our victors are Reborn and Tsunayoshi!"

The crowd let out a thunderous boom. The cheers were deafening, and Tsuna was startled at first when the forest vanished, revealing the standard, flat arena. Nurses rushed to the two teams, medical supplies in hand. They put Mochida and Asaba on stretchers, performing immediate first aid along the way, while they fussed over Reborn and Tsuna.

Tsuna sat up and let the nurses do their check ups. He turned his head when he felt something sticky on his cheek and saw Leon on his shoulder. Leon's big, round eyes peered up at him before he disappeared entirely. Tsuna was quite befuddled since he never made the move to dispel his magic, but shrugged it off.

He took in the sight of everyone in the stands with awe. They had done it. They won. Although the plan he had formed with Reborn wasn't perfectly executed, they still pulled through. Tsuna cracked a grin.

"Shitty brats, it's more like you had a contest to see who could injure himself more."

Tsuna looked up to see the newcomer.

"Why am I even here? Everyone knows I only treat women. If it weren't for Lady Luce asking me..."

"D-doctor Shamal?" Tsuna was appalled to see someone he knew at Yggdrasil.

Shamal scratched his head and opened an eye to peer at the boy. "So it _was_ you, Tsuna. I heard someone had transferred with your name, but I didn't think it'd actually be you. Damn, Hayato's going to fly through the roof."

"Hayato's here?"

"Yeah, unfortunately. He gets in trouble every second, which in turn gets me in trouble, and prevents me from hitting it off with the ladies."

"O-oh, I see."

"How many years has it been, kid? Last time I saw you, you were as tall as my foot."

Tsuna gave a wry smile. "It's been about four years."

Shamal hummed in thought before going off to ogle at a nurse. Tsuna rolled his eyes as other nurses were pushing both teams into the direction of the infirmary. The crowd couldn't even pour into the arena before the teams were locked into the hospital wing.

Each team had their own room, so Tsuna was lying in a bed while Reborn sat in a chair. They had nurses attending to them, and the room was quiet except for the clinking of tools. The room smelled heavily of antiseptic and bandages.

Tsuna was hauled off to get x-rays, while Reborn only needed wrapping for a few cuts here and there. Tsuna puffed out his cheeks in jealousy. Why couldn't he have practically no injuries like Reborn?

It was hours until Tsuna was finally released back to his room. He was glad it was all over for now. They said his arm would heal nicely and that he needed to rest well. Tsuna was going to ask about his magic, but couldn't find a chance to get a word in. He sluggishly made his way to the door and opened it. He was surprised to see Reborn still inside.

Tsuna awkwardly made it into his bed, and remained sitting up. He felt weird trying to rest with Reborn in the room, even if he was reading a book. It was close to midnight, but Tsuna suddenly felt very alert. His mind drifted off to the battle and he realized something.

He had done absolutely nothing.

Everything that happened was thanks to Reborn. He didn't stop Mochida nor did he hold off Asaba. He didn't come up with the plan. Hell, he didn't even use his own magic, wherever it was. The truth finally sunk in. He had been _useless_.

_'Well, it's not like I expected much more,'_ Tsuna wallowed in his mind. But that wasn't true, and he knew it. He _did_ expect – hope – that he would be able to do something for once. Reborn had somehow filled him with confidence and strength he never knew he possessed. He felt more in control as Reborn's partner. Something had snaked its way into his heart in the short time he spent with Reborn without him knowing it.

Pride.

Tsuna felt like he was drowning. He shut his eyes to block out the mocking voices he could hear.

_Loser._

_Freak._

_Failure._

_Worthless baggage._

"What wrong, dame-Tsuna?"

Tsuna snapped his eyes open and raised them to Reborn. The suited man was lounging on the other bed with his book closed and on his lap. Lumps formed in Tsuna's throat and he found it difficult to speak.

"U-um... I... I didn't _do_ anything. I was..."

"Living up to your name as 'dame' Tsuna?"

Tsuna's lips formed a tight line and he fiddled with his fingers.

Reborn sighed. "You've got one hell of a loser complex."

"Gee, thanks," Tsuna replied dryly. A moment of silence passed between the two, which made Tsuna feel incredibly uncomfortable. He tensed for the demeaning comment he knew was coming.

"You did fine."

Tsuna's body went slack in shock. He blinked at Reborn questioningly.

"All that matters is that you did it with your dying will."

**LINESLINESLINES**

Well! I hope the ending didn't feel too awkward. Yeah... I'm not too sure when the next update will be since I will be moving and starting school next week. It's really sad. :( I'll try to type as I go, but it'll be at least a week. Thanks for reading!


	4. Surprises

Welcome back! I apologize for the EXTREMELY long wait (haha) and how it's shorter than the rest, for the most part. Thank you to all who left goodies; they made me so happy. :) And thank you all for reading! This is a pretty slow chapter because it's a set-up and filler chapter, but hopefully you enjoy it nonetheless.

*Alright, I'm going to go with the... non-Asian way for names, meaning first names first and surnames last. People will say first names when referring to friends and people they know. For example, Tsuna will be using "Takeshi" rather than "Yamamoto", "Ryohei" rather than "Niisan", "Kyoko" rather than "Kyoko-chan", etc.

*As a reminder, I will be leaving out all honorifics (-kun, -san, -chan, -sama, -sensei, etc.) and that polite, Japanese style of socializing and speaking with others, and adopt the American style. It'll make things easier (albeit weirder) since I'm like a novice when it comes to Japanese customs. But when in prose, I'll refer to them as how they're originally addressed, like "Yamamoto", "Gokudera", and "Ryohei". I hope it's not too much of a hassle for you guys! Unless you guys prefer the same names in both prose and dialogue... If so, send me a note or add it in when you review.

**Disclaimer:** sameee

**LINESLINESLINES**

"Head Mistress, you know why I am here, don't you?"

There was a heavy sigh as the woman behind the grand, oak desk shuffled through some papers before lacing her fingers on top of them.

"Yes. It's about Tsuna, isn't it?"

"Then I take it you noticed?"

"How could I not? He's... Well, anyway, you already know my answer, so kindly make your way to the door."

"But this would be great for research purposes. You know this has never–"

"_I __know_. And that is precisely why I am refusing to let you operate on Tsuna. I made a promise, and I'm not going to let you corrupt it with your despicable, filthy hands."

"Oh, don't be so stingy, Luce–"

"Do not call me so familiarly."

The other let out a grimace. "I apologize, _Head Mistress. _May I at least observe him?"

"I have enough trouble around here without your meddling, and I don't need reports of a stalker in my school."

The man scowled and put on his hat roughly. He straightened out the collar of his coat before stating, "I'll be back when you've changed your mind, which won't take too long. And do understand that you're not the only one who can keep secrets." He stormed out angrily.

Luce let her shoulders drop when the door closed. She always felt stiff whenever she was in the presence of people from _that_ organization. She had noticed on more than enough occasions the evil glint that would sometimes appear in their eyes. She shivered at the thought of what he would do if he got his hands on Tsuna. She was determined to never let that happen.

"Hmm, you don't think he knows of..._ that_, do you?" Another voice rang throughout the room. Luce turned her chair to a corner of the room where a shadowed figure stood with his arms crossed.

"I hope not."

"Hehe~ that would be horrible."

**LINESLINESLINES**

"Where is he? Where is he, dammit?!"

"Maa, maa, Hayato, it's still too early to be so rowdy."

"Shut up, baseball idiot! It's been over _four _years since we've seen Tsuna! Can you even count that high?"

"Haha, of course I can! I'm excited to see Tsuna, too!"

"She said it was... this room!"

The door burst open with an excited, "Tsuna!"

Tsuna jerked awake and sleepily turned a head towards the door. "Mmn?" he uttered incoherently, while sitting up. Before he knew it, someone had seized his shoulders before pulling him into a crushing hug. Tsuna's eyes were clearing up and he finally registered who came in.

"H-Hayato? And Takeshi, too?!"

"Yo, Tsuna! Long time no see!"

Gokudera let go in time for Tsuna to say, "It's good to see you both," with a smile.

"How badly hurt are you? I swear, when I see that bastard duo, I'm going to hang them from the roof by their thumbs."

"P-please don't. I'm fine."

Gokudera's glaring eyes turned soft as he regarded Tsuna. "Okay, if you say so, Tsuna."

Tsuna sighed in relief.

"I'll just blow their heads off."

"Haha, that sounds worse!"

"Shut up, baseball nut! They'll get what's comin' to them!"

Tsuna couldn't fight the grin forming on his face. "You two haven't changed."

Gokudera whipped around and puffed out his chest. "Of course I have! I don't know about the idiot over there, but I spent all those years training to become a man worthy of your trust and friendship!"

"You didn't have to go that far..."

"What are you talking about, Tsuna? You deserve only the best!"

Tsuna lowered his head sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "I-I don't really..."

"Hayato's right, Tsuna." Tsuna peered up at his dark haired friend. Yamamoto gave a beaming smile in response.

Tsuna looked at his two best friends happily. "I'm really glad to see you guys again."

"Us too," Yamamoto replied, his smile getting wider.

A comfortable silence followed. They all felt indescribable joy at their reunion that words were not enough. It had been so long.

_'And so lonely,'_ Tsuna thought. Sure, he had made a few friends over the years, but no one compared with the two standing before him.

Tsuna perked up as he remembered something. "Oh, um, let me introduce you guys to Reborn." He cast a glance to the bed on the other side of the room and found it empty. It was clean, unwrinkled and set, as if no one had used it at all.

"You mean that Arcobaleno you were fighting with?"

Tsuna nodded at Gokudera's question. He then cocked his head to the side. "What is this... 'Arcobaleno' anyway?"

"The Arcobaleno, an Italian word for rainbow – a group of six individuals herald as the best of their generation. They are all Verktaki and each possess a different magic attribute that defines the accentuating colors they wear. However, their group lacks a person with the sky attribute, the color orange, for unknown reasons." Gokudera recited like he was a walking dictionary.

"And Reborn's one of them?"

"Yes. He is thought to be the strongest, but there are varying opinions on that matter. Not much is known about them, though."

"I can see why," Tsuna commented as he thought about Reborn's aloofness. He never heard anything personal come from the man.

The bell tower chimed, signaling it was an hour before classes.

The three frowned at their interruption, sad that their time together had been cut short.

"No way in hell am I going to class. I'm going to stay here with you, Tsuna," Gokudera barked. Yamamoto hummed in agreement.

Tsuna laughed at his declaration. They really hadn't changed. "No, you two can't skip class for my sake."

"Nonsense! I'd do anything for your sake!"

"P-please go to class. We'll have tons of time to talk later."

Gokudera gave a hard stare, but eventually relented, and Yamamoto nodded reluctantly. "See you at lunch, then."

Tsuna smiled. "Yeah." Before they were out the door, Tsuna added, "I've missed you guys."

"It's such an honor to hear your kind words!"

"We missed you too, Tsuna!"

With all three of them grinning, the door shut and they parted.

**LINESLINESLINES**

Tsuna was bored. His whole day consisted of counting ceiling tiles, medicine, and numbing silence. Lunch was more fun than he had in a long while. Gokudera and Yamamoto still held their usual banter and they had many stories to tell him. Tsuna was glad he had come to Yggdrasil.

It was now the end of classes for the day, but Yamamoto had baseball practice and Gokudera had an important class meeting to attend. He wanted neither of them to neglect their duties, so he urged them to go rather than come visit him.

The nurse who frequently came in told him he might be released some time tomorrow or Monday, depending on his health. His arm would normally take months to heal, but his doctor had commented on how his surprisingly rapid recovery rate will have it only take weeks.

_'At least I'm good at something,'_ Tsuna mused, _'healing wounds.'_

Footsteps could be heard making their way towards the room. Tsuna perked up and stared at the door, awaiting his new visitor. The door squeaked open and in waltzed Reborn. Tsuna was quite surprised and was about to greet him until another stepped in.

He was a well-built blond who wore camouflage clothes and a headband. He was leisurely carrying a large box, and made it seem like it weighed nothing. He was smiling and dogging on Reborn with a cheerful voice.

"You know you love me, Reborn. I even brought a surprise for you, but I thought it would be best to show it to your partner too. I'm considerate like that, kora," he said.

Reborn grunted and stalked off to a corner of the room. Tsuna eyed the exchange with curiosity. When the blond had set the box down by his feet, he noticed Tsuna. Recognition and joy flitted across his eyes.

"Hey there, Tsuna," he chirped, bouncing up to the boy. "I'm Colonnello, long time babysitter of Reborn, kora." He pointedly ignored the vicious "_Whose_ babysitter, you mongrel?" in the background and continued. "Nice to meet you."

Tsuna looked at him nervously and said, "Likewise."

"Thank you for looking after him, I know he can be a handful, kora."

Tsuna faltered for a bit, searching for words. "A-ah, um, n-no, no, not at all. He's the one taking care of me, actually. I should be thanking him."

"S'that so." Colonnello's eyes drifted over to Reborn. He was currently leaning against the wall with his arms folded on his chest and fedora low, attempting to block out the conversation entirely.

"Speakin'a him..." Colonnello fumbled with his pockets before remembering the box he brought in. "Here we go, kora," he muttered as he hoisted it up to the foot of the bed. "Reborn!"

The man remained apathetic, making no move to signal he had heard the other. Colonnello scowled and yelled his roommate's name louder. He drew out the last syllable longer than necessary, which caused Reborn to shut his eyes in annoyance, but ultimately do nothing else.

Colonnello sighed and tilted his head in Tsuna's direction, smirking. Tsuna caught the look in his eye and cautiously stared back, confusion splayed across his face.

"Too bad Reborn's not answering, huh, Tsuna?" Colonnello started, addressing the boy. "I was going to give him this box filled with adoring love letters I found outside our room recently, kora. I know he's just _dying_ to read the lot of 'em, but I guess the battle has worn him out, the poor guy. So, I'll do him the kindness of reading all of them out loud, kora. C'mon, Tsuna, you can help."

Colonnello ruffled through the box's contents and picked out a pink, frilly envelope. While tearing it open, he pulled up a stool and scooted closer to Tsuna. He leaned down so that the other would be able to read the curly writing and see the litter of hearts.

"Oh man, this one's_ juicy._" Colonnello struggled to keep a straight face and had to clamp a hand over his mouth. His body shook as he tried to keep in all the snickers erupting from his throat. Tsuna simply looked at the blond before focusing on the letter when Colonnello began in a breathless feminine voice.

"_To my dearly beloved, Reborn, _– there are tons of hearts around your name by the way, kora – _it's __wonderful that you won. I knew you would. I mean, obviously my love for you has strengthened you ten fold and warded off any dangers._" Colonnello paused to flutter his eyes and bring a hand to his heart, both of which were directed at Reborn, who was quickly losing his patience. "_I have pictures of you up on my wall that I kiss every night before I go to sleep and every morning after I wake up. _– oh my god, she's a keeper –_ I knew from the minute I saw you that we were meant for each other. If only I wasn't a Verktaki, then we'd have been the best pair in the world, and in more ways than one. I know we haven't __talked much because you're shy, – _*snort*_ – but that's okay since I'm a patient wife. I dream of your suave body and s-sultry – _*giggle* –_ voice a-all _– *laugh* – _the t-t-ti_–" At this point, Colonnello couldn't take it anymore. He could no longer contain his laughter, so he let it out. He clutched his stomach as it started to hurt. He wiped his eyes while still laughing and waved to the box. "Ts-Tsuna, g-get another letter, kora."

Before Tsuna could move, the sound of a shot reverberated throughout the room and the box was suddenly on fire. Tsuna panicked and he looked around for the cause. He saw Reborn putting back his magic gun into the confines of his suit. Tsuna paled as he noticed the murderous aura coming from the other, something the blond next to him was oblivious to. _'Maybe he's used to it by now,'_ Tsuna surmised.

Reborn pushed off from the wall and slowly made his way to the window; all the while Tsuna remained frozen. He unlatched the lock and pulled it open. Spinning around, he strolled towards the box, which by now was completely engulfed in flames, picked it up and brought it over to the window. In an instant, he had tossed it out, not caring where it landed as long as it burned to hell.

Tsuna tried to disappear under the confines of his covers, a wary view trained on Reborn's back as the man stood unmoving. Colonnello was still gleefully in his own little world. In a flash, Reborn had him by the collar and was yanking him towards the exit. The door was slammed shut, and there was a brief calm within the room until Tsuna could hear a muffled voice coming from outside.

"Ouch, Reborn, now I can't breathe. Stop it, they don't bend that way! And you – pfffhahaha – ow! No – hey, you – dammit, kora!"

Reborn came back into the room with Colonnello nowhere in sight. Tsuna frowned worriedly.

"Not a word," Reborn bit out. Tsuna could only nod obediently.

**LINESLINESLINES**

"So?"

"W-well, sir, I ap-pologize profusely, but she... didn't... er–"

"What?"

"U-um, sh-she–"

"I don't think you heard me. I said, _what_."

"I-I-I only heard this from the Vice, sir, but... she refused."

"That's not what I want to know. I already assumed she would refuse."

"U-uh–"

The other heaved a long sigh. "Bring the Vice in, and get this man out of my face."

"Yes, sir."

"W-wait! No! P-please! I was only told to do one thing! Don't let me go down there again! No! No!"

The door slammed shut on the man's screams. The one that issued the order rubbed his face tiredly. There was a knock soon after and a straight-laced man walked in.

"You called?"

"You purposefully told him the wrong information, didn't you?"

"Did I? You know I have memory problems. If you knew, why'd you still have him removed?"

"Need you ask?"

"Eh, it was more of a formality, in case you wanted to hear yourself talk some more. I don't really care."

"Tch, cheeky as always."

"Only towards you, my lovely President."

"Shut up. Your fictitious fawning unnerves me."

There was a brief pause before the conversation continued.

"If it makes you happy, I have the information you want. I put it in the report I wrote not too long ago."

"I expected as much. If you didn't, I would've killed you."

"Hey, nothing like a little joke now and then, right?"

The other drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. A wicked smile stretched across his lips as he responded, "Why, yes."

The Vice's grin faltered for a split second before being put back in place. Suddenly, there was a sharp rapping at the door.

"Come in," the President called leisurely, eyes filled with sardonic mirth.

"You called, sir?" the man asked as he came in, rolling his sleeves down and putting his hands in his pockets.

"Come here."

The new occupant strolled up to come behind the Vice, making sure to keep his head down to not make eye contact.

"Vice, this is our newbie."

The Vice studied him from top to bottom from the corner of his vision before turning his back to the President and reaching out his right hand. "Nice to meet you."

The other bowed slightly, locking eyes with him. "It is my pleasure, Vice."

The Vice let his hand hang in the air for a couple of seconds more before retracting it. A frown marred his looks, the action not going unnoticed by the newcomer. He plastered on a smile and said, "Rise. No need to be so formal."

The other complied and stood tall, hands remaining in the confines of his pockets.

"Vice," the President voiced. Said man spun around, smile still intact. "He will be taking your job."

A cynical smirk formed as the President took in the subtle changes in the man's features. To anyone else, it would've seemed like nothing had happened.

"I see. It looks like the odds were more out of my favor than I had thought."

The man made his leave in silence, not even producing a sound when opening and closing the door.

**LINESLINESLINES**

Reborn opened one of the large double doors and side-stepped in. "You wanted to see me, Head Mistress?"

"Yes, Reborn, have a seat, and haven't I told you to call me Luce?" The other gracefully took a seat, facing opposite of Luce, but remained silent at the question.

"How's Tsuna?"

"Fine."

The corners of Luce's mouth quirked up at the short reply. "How do you like the magic gun?"

"Quite well. Thank you for letting me keep it."

"Of course! I was planning to let the winning Verktaki take it anyway. It was specially made by our mechanic, Giannini."

There was a moment of silence in which Luce shuffled through her papers and reorganized the items on her desk. Reborn remained still, eyes watching astutely.

"I guess I should get to the point," Luce said after a while. "Did Tsuna..."

"Yes, Tsuna used my magic."

"As I thought. He summoned a chameleon, right?"

"Yes."

"Strange, but I shouldn't say it can't be done... We aren't entirely sure on the full properties and limits of our magical powers.," Luce murmured to herself, but Reborn still picked it up. Her mouth shut and she thought for a minute.

"You two do suit each other," she said to Reborn after a while, "since teams usually tap into their partner's powers during their second year here. Magic still flows from one to the other, but a Stefna isn't able to utilize it until spending an ample amount of time with their Verktaki."

Reborn nodded, showing he was listening. A soft, warming smile graced Luce's features as she took another moment to think.

"Well," she continued, "I'm sure you already understand the rarity of having summoned a living being through magic. I've assured the spectators of the battle that what they saw was a trick of the camera to keep rumors from spreading. I've spoken with Asaba and Kensuke about the matter, but it seems they have no recollection of ever witnessing a chameleon."

A satisfied smirk cross Reborn's face at the last sentence.

Luce laced her fingers together again and looked directly into Reborn's eyes. "I request that you keep this matter secret for the time being."

Reborn leveled her gaze and gave his consent.

"Thank you. Please inform Tsuna that my request reaches out to him, too."

Reborn nodded once more and rose to leave. He let the door shut quietly behind him. Luce sat back in her chair.

"I feel as if he gets more suspicious of me each time we meet."

"He is that kind of person." The shadowed figure from before appeared.

"He was always very sharp and observant..."

"You need something?"

"I want you to keep an eye on Reborn and Tsuna. I'm worried for them."

"Then why didn't you warn the guy when he was here?"

"I didn't want to burden him. I'm positive we'll be seeing that organization again very soon."

"Things are starting to get interesting~"

Luce whisked her chair around to face the windows, watching the clouds float by. Her moment of peace was interrupted when the shadowed figure piped up.

"They know."

"...Are you sure?"

"Positive. He has sent in his best. Even though both their appearances have changed, their mannerisms have not. I've already confirmed it when we met. He's starting."

**LINESLINESLINES**

Reborn walked along the halls and rooms at a regular pace, ignoring all the whispering and stares. He was currently on the Stefna side of the University – a place where Stefna attended class-specific courses and courses solely for Stefna. There was a similar section in Yggdrasil for Verktaki, and in the middle housed buildings for basic, core classes that were mandatory for each student.

In the morning they took class-specifics and in the afternoon they took basics, so that every student would end the day at the same time, but have different morning schedules. Reborn had most of his class-specifics in the early morning, leaving him with an ample amount of break time during the afternoon until core classes started at two.

It was after six, more than an hour after class had been dismissed, but there were still students lingering in the classrooms or lounge areas, studying with others. Reborn flicked up his fedora as he entered a teacher's office, knocking on the door before opening it.

The teacher stopped typing and looked up from the rim of his glasses. He posture changed as he steeled his expression. "Do you need something?" he asked gruffly.

"Good evening, Professor, my name is Reborn. I am Tsunayoshi Sawada's Verktaki and came here to retrieve his test, per his request."

The man eyed Reborn and then turned around to his computer and started typing again. "ID?"

Reborn revealed a card, to which the teacher peered at it uninterestedly for a second, before putting it back in his wallet.

Yanking out a drawer from the filing cabinet, the man grumbled, searching, before coming to a stop on a folder. He pulled it out, sifted through the papers, and took out a lone sheet. He handed it to Reborn and made hand motions indicating the other should depart. Reborn thanked him and left, the paper having been folded into thirds and pocketed inside his suit.

Reborn gave an inaudible sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He had a lot of work to do.

**LINESLINESLINES**

"Eh? You guys are Stefna, too?" Tsuna asked incredulously.

"Yes," Gokudera shouted, bowing at once. Yamamoto laughed and rubbed the back of his head.

"We should have some classes together, then," Tsuna said, smiling. "Which rooms are you staying at?"

"We're both in the Uro Hall," Yamamoto replied. "I'm in room 610, and Hayato's in 619."

Tsuna blinked owlishly in disbelief. "I'm in 619! I didn't see you, Hayato."

Gokudera looked horrified as he started apologizing profusely. "I'm sorry, Tsuna! I am truly sorry!" He only ceased when Tsuna repeatedly assured him it was okay. "I don't like staying in my room, so I usually go out. I'd rather sleep outside on the roof than feel restricted inside a dorm."

Tsuna nodded in understanding. Gokudera never did enjoy being chained down.

"But there's a curfew. Won't you get in trouble?"

"It never mattered to me, but if it matters to you, I'll show up on time every day! I'll be there even earlier than early! I'll–"

"I-It's okay, Hayato. You can do what makes you feel most comfortable."

Gokudera grew teary eyed as he grovelled at Tsuna's bedside, while Tsuna tried to calm him down unsuccessfully. Yamamoto laughed at the exchange, causing Gokudera to round on him with insults. The fight went on for a few minutes until a sentence caught Tsuna's attention.

"Just wait, birdbrain, when we get back to class–"

Tsuna suddenly realized something and groaned, burying his face in his hands.

"Look, now you've upset Tsuna!"

"Maa, maa, Hayato–"

"Don't play nonchalance with me! I'll–"

"No, it's not Takeshi, Hayato. It's... it's _class_."

Gokudera loosened the grip he had on Yamamoto's shirt and cocked his head. The two waited for Tsuna to continue.

"I took a test last time, and I know I didn't do well."

"It's alright, Tsuna! Mere paper and questions could not possibly hope to be able to accurately measure your greatness and potential!"

Tsuna smiled halfheartedly at the remark. "Still..."

"If a professor tries failing you, he'll have another thing coming," Gokudera hissed threateningly.

"Don't worry, Tsuna! I probably did horribly, too!"

"That's 'cause you're a thick-headed simpleton!"

Tsuna tuned out the one-sided bickering and frowned. He didn't want to retrieve his test. He knew he would cringe at the sight of the score. Sighing dejectedly, he fell back onto the propped up pillows. _'I hope it isn't too bad when I go get it after I'm released.'_

**LINESLINESLINES**

Sooo anyone catch that double entendre Tsuna said? Ehh? :D Even though it's not spoken as one, it's written as one. If that makes sense, haha. Hugs for whoever gets it! And there's also another one said by someone else, but I don't think it's that noticeable, haha.

I'm sorry again that this is a boring-ish chapter. I had troubles ending it, and it feels awkward where I just left it off...

On the not-so-bright-side, Reborn has Tsuna's test without him knowing it! Dun Dun Dun! Haha, oh man, next chapter's going to be brutal. I'll try to get it out as soon as possible, but college is already kicking my butt. Thank you very much for reading! (Fingers crossed that the next chapter doesn't take me too long)!


	5. Intrigue

I commend those who are still able to write when they're booked solid. Hats off to you, because I would never be able to do it, haha! I apologize for the lateness! (And for any mistakes I have missed during my run-throughs.)

On a side note: MY GOODNESS, the manga is getting so good.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own KHReborn. (neither do I own Monopoly :D)

**LINESLINESLINES**

It was an early Sunday morning when the medical wing started buzzing. Murmurs were barely audible due to the few people who were awake at the time, but the building itself seemed to rumble, somehow sensing oncoming doom.

Tsuna was, like many other students, planning to sleep in on the wonderful day off, since most underclassmen still had to attend class on Saturday. After the big duel on Friday, Tsuna had felt exhausted beyond belief, but it was really settling in now. He was currently under the sterile sheets of the hospital bed, snoring peacefully. A content smile graced his face as his body gratefully accepted the comfort and relaxation. He was never one for intense, physical activities, anyway.

Abruptly, the door was kicked down, its hinges popping out of place like buttons would from an overstretched shirt. Tsuna was jolted awake, but sat up with only half a mind, seeing as how the other was still asleep. His groggy conscious registered distinct clacks on the marble flooring, and they were getting nearer. He paid little attention to them as he decided to flop back down onto the bed.

Before he could drift off again, a rough kick shoved him out of the bed. Tsuna yelped and crashed to the hard, cold floor in a very unrefined way. Wrestling with the blanket he was tangled in for a moment, Tsuna peered over his bed to stare wide eyed at the person who woke him.

What he saw was a man in a clean cut suit wearing a yellow banded fedora. Said man had a paper folded into thirds resting delicately between his index and middle finger. From the look of his sadistic smirk and withering gaze, Tsuna guessed it wasn't a visit of pleasantries.

Tsuna was somewhat glad that no one else was currently stationed in his ward, but at the same time terrified as there would be no witnesses for his death.

"Morning, dame-Tsuna," calmly spoke the man.

"G-good morning, Reborn," Tsuna greeted quietly, trying to swallow a lump and focus anywhere but at his contractor.

Reborn raised the paper in his hand a little, seeming to regard it thoughtfully, before speaking in the same composed tone. "Do you know what this is?"

Tsuna's attention remained fixed on a particular wrinkle from the sheets on his bed. He chose to blurt out the first thing that came to mind due to the extreme tension and nervousness bubbling inside him, which in hindsight, was a very dreadful thing to do. "A love letter?"

Tsuna mentally berated himself for letting such a dire mistake slip through. If he had a desk, he would be banging his head against it. At least if he hit hard enough he could potentially knock himself out and be free of the situation for a few more minutes. He waited a span of what felt like years for the inevitable beating that would come, but instead of a bruise, Tsuna received a reply.

"Two words."

Tsuna felt fear more than anything right then. The underlying threat in Reborn's tone meant only two results. Either Tsuna was going to die a dog's death or be tortured severely before dying a dog's death. He wasn't even sure if he was still getting a proper burial at the rate he was going.

Reborn took the paper and started unfolding it.

This was getting too dangerous. Reborn was looking more devious by the second as he basked in the obvious panic overtaking Tsuna. Tsuna sat motionless, unwillingly locking eyes with Reborn as the man sent him a piercing look before turning the paper around.

"Utter incompetence."

The paper was definitely not a love letter, Tsuna confirmed. His features went slack as he finally took in what was actually written. _'Oh, it is absolutely the latter result,' _Tsuna concluded in a hopeless manner.

The paper's contents were of a test – a test and its corresponding grade. A test taken previously in the week by a certain someone. And that certain someone was now sweating buckets, trying to hide under the bed as discretely as possible for someone shaking so much his teeth clattered.

Footsteps slowly made their way around the bed to stop right before Tsuna, a section of him already under the bed. A sleek, leather shoe pressed firmly against the younger boy's stomach, using the grip to drag him out. Tsuna shrieked and covered his face when he became fully exposed.

"W-who gives a test on the second day of the school year?" Tsuna cried feebly.

"Professors, dame-Tsuna," Reborn retorted. "The question you should be asking is how you managed such a score. Did you even spell your own name correctly?"

"Y-yes," Tsuna stammered indignantly, despite the pressure.

"Honestly, I was going to wait until you had recovered fully, but after seeing this, the whole of time itself looks to be insufficient."

"B-but–"

"You don't know anything about magic, do you?"

"I-I know the basics..."

"You'll need to know much more than the basics to keep up with your studies at Yggdrasil."

"I know... I found out I was a Stefna not too long ago, actually."

Reborn frowned and readjusted his fedora. "I was only going to train you, but it looks like I'll have to be your tutor as well."

"Uh?" Tsuna looked at Reborn uncertainly.

"Welcome to your first day of class, dame-Tsuna."

An eerie, foreboding feeling crawled up Tsuna's spine. The flash of promised pain in Reborn's eyes wasn't helping it subside in the slightest. "W-wait," Tsuna stalled, "I don't necessarily... _need_ a tutor... or trainer... I'm completely capable o-on my own."

"Wrong answer." Reborn kicked Tsuna in the gut, knocking the wind out of the poor boy, and causing him to curl up on his side. His arms wrapped around the sore spot and Tsuna cracked an eye open to send a pleading look toward his assailant. "Your skills are terribly lacking, dame-Tsuna. At the rate you're going, you'll most likely regress before improving. As your partner, I cannot allow that to happen."

Tsuna let out a small whimper as he could only imagine the torture he was going to be coerced into doing.

**LINESLINESLINES**

The Arcobaleno were occupying their regular table, eating their lunch in a comfortable silence. Only Colonnello, Fon, and Skull were present, the others having gone to do their own busywork. Viper had a stern frown set in place, never changing even when he rose to leave, while Verde continued mumbling about one of his experiments while departing. Viper had eaten his meal quickly, opting to unnecessarily stab things with his fork at times. Verde seemed to have more papers than usual strewn across the table, his eyes darting from text to text at lightning speed. He, too, had left without a word.

The remaining three ate at a slow pace, letting the white noise of other students fill their silence. Suddenly, one of the chairs was pulled back, scraping across the marble tiles loudly. A battered, brown-haired boy plopped down roughly while a plate of food was shoved in front of him.

"Eat," said a voice.

The three Arcobaleno looked up from their food to see Reborn standing behind the chair of the boy who just sat down. He flicked up his fedora and nodded at them in greeting. Fon nodded back, raising the sleeve of his robes to cover a creeping smile. Skull merely stared in confusion, and Colonnello broke out into a grin.

"Hey, Reborn, Tsuna."

Tsuna tried to wave, but his arm was currently in a sling and his other was scooping up food into his mouth. He smiled weakly at Colonnello when he gave up with waving.

Skull perked up and said, "Oh, so you're Tsuna. I am the great Skull, bow down before me!"

Tsuna's eyebrows knit together, unsure of what to do, but one glance at Reborn, who was shooting Skull a look, had him cramming food into his mouth once again. He chanced a second to stop and ask, "Are you all part of the... uh..."

"Arcobaleno?" Fon helped.

Skull sat up straight and beamed, "Of course!"

Fon chose to ask a question of his own. "You didn't know?"

Tsuna sheepishly bowed his head with an apologetic look on his face. "This is my first time at a magic school. I don't know much at all..."

Fon smiled softly. "It's alright, Tsuna. It matters not how much you know, but rather how much you are willing to learn."

Tsuna's heart lifted a little at the comment. "Thank you... er–"

"Fon," the other supplied.

"Thank you, Fon," Tsuna said with a grateful look.

Fon smiled back and lowered his sleeve. His eyes surveyed Tsuna's disposition more carefully as the teen returned to eating. He went from the mussed hair, clod with leaves and dirt, to the roughed up clothes, torn and soiled, and finally to Tsuna's lacerated hand.

Fon frowned softly and was about to comment when the table was enveloped in a murderous aura. Everyone at the table whipped their heads in the direction of the threat and found Viper briskly walking towards them. He stopped just inches from the table in front of his own chair. His hooded cloak hid his features, but everyone could feel the extreme annoyance radiating off of the man.

"What's the matter with you? This is worse than the time I switched the money in your room with Monopoly money," Colonnello said.

Skull burst out laughing, reminiscing on the memory, until he was immediately shut up by Viper's glare. Viper slowly placed his hands on the surface of the table, leaning in until he was a foot away from Colonnello's face. "L115A3 AWM," he hissed.

A horrified look crossed Colonnello's face, as if he was reliving a nightmare. With a triumphant look, Viper righted himself and stood with his arms crossed. His scowl returned as he remembered what he was there for. He momentarily eyed Tsuna, briefly wondering why the boy was there, before asking, "Have any of you noticed anything... odd?"

"Is something wrong, Viper?" Fon inquired.

Viper growled in the back of his throat, dissatisfied with the reply. "No, nothing." As he turned to leave, Reborn spoke up.

"Have you lost your two kittens?"

Viper instantly froze where he was. The silence that reigned was deathly tense. The other four watched in confusion, not seeing the connection. Viper spun around and snapped, "How about you keep your eyes on your mutt and out of my business?" Reborn merely smirked.

Fon seemed to catch on to what was happening and chuckled. "Oh, there's _two_ now?"

"Shut up!" Viper shouted hotly, stalking off in the other direction.

"I didn't know Viper liked cats. Was he always a cat person?" Skull piped up, cocking his head to the side.

Fon shook his head, still chuckling. "Apparently so."

Reborn's eyes flickered to the other side of the dining hall for a second before narrowing. "Dame-Tsuna," he said in a clipped tone, "let's go."

Tsuna made a whining noise, glancing up at Reborn. "Can't we wait until my arm heals?"

"Not a chance." Reborn drew his gun and placed the barrel against the back of Tsuna's head. "Get moving."

"Hiiee, okay, okay!"

**LINESLINESLINES**

"Discharged? Discharged?! What do you mean_ discharged_?"

"He clocked out this morning, sir," the woman behind the desk snapped. She didn't have the patience to deal with angry students at the moment.

Gokudera started seething on the spot, adding in a profanity now and then, before Yamamoto bowed slightly to the woman in thanks and lead Gokudera outside.

"You, you–we–I–!" Gokudera scratched his head angrily. "I should have gotten here first thing in the morning! Damn meetings."

"Now, now Hayato. We should be happy since that means Tsuna's all healed," Yamamoto reasoned. Accepting the response, – he _was_ glad of the fact, after all – Gokudera chose to close his mouth into a scowl.

"Still, we have to find Tsuna," Gokudera muttered.

"He's probably eating lunch, right? It's around noon."

Gokudera sharply turned towards the direction of the cafeteria and sped off, leaving Yamamoto by the entrance of the hospital wing. Grinning, Yamamoto started jogging to catch up to his friend. As Gokudera was rushing into the building, he accidentally bumped into someone in his haste.

Glaring at the sudden obstacle, Gokudera was about to tell the other off when he caught a look at the mounds of papers the other was holding. The person, who had also stopped, kept on muttering under his breath, seemingly unaware of the collision, until Gokudera spoke up while retrieving a few stray papers from the floor.

"The theory of parallel universes and quantum entanglement?"

Frustrated, the man peered up from his work to snatch the papers back, but the other kept them out of his reach with a glare. Gokudera skimmed through the information as his eyebrows knitted together.

"Time travel, is it?"

Miffed, the man grunted in confirmation, impatiently drumming his fingers against his arm. His eyes narrowed as the other continued.

"Well, if you take into account Everett's theory and the principles of quantum mechanics, then–"

"I don't need your baseless opinions. Now give me back my research."

Frowning heavily, Gokudera locked eyes with the man and said, "Why the hell do I have to listen to you? You're the one who bumped into me in the first place!"

The man's glasses gleamed dangerously as he met Gokudera's challenge. "You wouldn't be able to understand–"

"It is an interpretation of quantum mechanics which proposes the thought of alternate histories and futures relative to the objective reality of the universal wave function that denies the existence of wavefunction collapse," Gokudera returned immediately.

The man's expression hadn't changed. He still held his earlier belief, making Gokudera's blood boil. No way was someone going to treat him like an ignorant fool.

"Quantum decoherence has eliminated the possibility of wavefunction collapse due to the fact that the nature of the parallel worlds theory removes the need for a observer-dependent role."

"Simplistic–"

"Schrödinger's equation, the law of conservation of energy, the principle of locality, all of which have been placed in opposition to the theory–"

"Primitive speculation–"

"According to DeWitt's and Everett's formulation, a composite system exhibits relative states, in which the object system is measured by a quantum superposition of states–"

"But what of the concept of quantum suicide and weak coupling–"

"Verde." Both bodies turned to the new person with heated stares.

"What is it, Viper?" Verde asked in annoyance.

"You're in the way. Move."

"Tch, why not use another door? Can't even handle that, Viper?"

"I'm not using a different exit just because you got into a nerd fight with some stranger."

Verde onced Viper over, realizing that he was more irritable than usual. Something had Viper ticked, and it was highly effective. Pushing his glasses up, Verde decided this would be good research material. He side-stepped and let Viper pass through angrily with a brush of his cloak.

Utilizing the momentary peace created from the interruption, Verde swiftly grabbed his papers from Gokudera's hands and followed Viper out. As the door was closing, Yamamoto slipped through and stood in front of Gokudera.

"Yo," he greeted with a smile.

Composing himself, Gokudera huffed and stalked off in search of Tsuna, cursing the world under his breath. Yamamoto tailed him, wondering what had happened during the time he took to catch up.

**LINESLINESLINES**

"I didn't even know there was a river this close to school," Tsuna mused as he marveled over the size. They were currently in the middle of the thick forest just outside school grounds. Tsuna was amazed at the sight. It didn't feel like they were in a city anymore, but rather in the depths of the wilderness. The river stretched as far as Tsuna could see without the trees cutting off his view. A few meters upstream was a medium sized waterfall gushing from the strong current.

Tsuna wondered why they were here of all places. He hadn't seen any sign of Reborn in a while, which had him a little worried. One minute the other was leading the way, then when Tsuna tripped and landed face first, he had raised himself up to his knees only to find the other had disappeared. After a little backtracking and searching, Tsuna had come across a clearing which opened up to display the river.

Deciding to take a much needed rest, Tsuna sat himself on the ground and listened to the rushing water. Suddenly, a shot was fired and the bullet grazed his bangs. Jumping up in fright, Tsuna looked around at the source. He found Reborn standing by the waterfall with his gun in hand. Before Tsuna could ask where he went off to, Reborn gave his instructions.

"Wake up, dame-Tsuna," Reborn announced over the roar of the falls, "This is the next phase of your daily training."

Tsuna stared on questioningly as Reborn easily scaled the cliff with high jumps. At the top, he addressed Tsuna once more, "Starting from there in the middle of the river, you are to walk up until you are at this point."

Tsuna paled. "Y-you mean, I have to get in and scale up the waterfall?"

"Precisely."

"But th-that's impossible! The current is way too strong over there!"

Another shot came towards his way, making Tsuna stumble backwards and fall on his butt. "Your resolve is too weak. If you want to get stronger, your determination and commitment must remain steadfast and unwavering."

Caving under Reborn's reason, Tsuna could find no words to counter. Sighing, he stripped his shirt and shoes off and walked towards the bank of the river. He thought about removing his sling, but decided against it. Sticking a foot in, Tsuna shivered from the ice cold water. Biting back any complaints since he knew Reborn would only shoot at him otherwise, Tsuna slowly proceeded. When both his feet were in, the water came knee high. Thinking that wasn't too bad, he started to wade over to the middle of the river.

With every step, the water level rose until it came up to Tsuna's chest when he finally reached the middle. Tsuna grimaced when he realized he could barely feel the bottom half of his body. After a few steps, he had gotten used to the chill of the water and the current, but as he got closer to the waterfall, the force pushing him back became immensely powerful, to where if he didn't concentrate on his balance, he would be carried away.

Tsuna's body was on fire. Everywhere hurt, especially his legs and arm. It hurt to breathe, too, as if dry ice was scraping the inside of his throat. Tsuna clicked his mouth shut to prevent his teeth from chattering. Tsuna was almost to the waterfall, but he was also at his limit. Even though the clear day's air was pleasantly cool, in the water it felt like whips on the skin.

Tsuna looked up to address Reborn, but didn't see him. Surprise flitted across his face. Where had Reborn gone to? Just as Tsuna was turning his head to look around, a particularly strong rush of water knocked him from his feet and made him slip under the water. Yelping, Tsuna quickly tried to stand up again, but found he couldn't get a good enough grip. Suddenly, he found himself at the same place he started.

Sighing heavily, Tsuna thought of giving up. He was soaked, freezing, and in pain. With Reborn gone, this proved to be the best chance. However, when Tsuna went to move towards the bank, he hesitated. Before he could dwell on it, a sound came from the bushes next to the river.

"Oh man, this is tough!" a voice exclaimed with mirth. A man came running out of the cover of the trees and slowed to a stop by the river. He bent over and put his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Laughing gleefully, he straightened out and sat down. Noticing Tsuna, he gave a short wave and smiled broadly. "Hi."

After getting over the initial shock, Tsuna stuttered out, "H-hello."

Crossing his legs, the man folded his arms over his chest and asked, "What're you doing in there? You look miserable."

"Oh, um," Tsuna said nervously, "I'm... training?"

"You say it like you don't know yourself."

"Uh–"

"Is it Reborn's idea?"

"How did you–"

"So he's training you?"

"A-ah, um, well... y-yes."

The person hummed in thought. "I see... Having fun?"

Tsuna shook his hair with his hand to get some clinging droplets off. "Hardly."

"Hehe, but you should be!" Tsuna stared at the person in disbelief. The person laughed at the response. "You wanna get stronger, right?"

Tsuna nodded, still eying the strange person.

"Then... isn't Reborn helping you do just that?"

That's when it clicked. Reborn _was_ doing this for him, wasn't he? He had nothing to gain in using up his time to teach Tsuna the basics of both academics and physical prowess, other than having a better partner. But would Reborn truly go through all the trouble for such a trivial and petty reason? Was this solely because Reborn didn't want a weak partner? Tsuna shook his head to try and clear his thoughts. Of course it was, who would want to be seen with him otherwise, as pathetic as he is?

The man clicked his tongue. "Believe in your partner, Tsuna, because it's clear he believes in you."

Tsuna blinked at the person. It was taking a while to process the words and let them sink in. Was he correct in thinking so? Thoughts whirled around Tsuna's mind, but he was getting more confused by the second. Frowning, he said, "You're wro–"

"Oh shoot! You better climb up that river and fast! Gotta go!" In a heartbeat, the man was up on his feet and darting back into the forest. Tsuna stared after him in question. Why'd he leave in such a hurry? Wait, how did he know so much?! The suspicion completely flew out of Tsuna's mind as he was talking. Who was that person?

Getting back to the task at hand, Tsuna realized he couldn't bring himself to give up. Regardless of if what the man said was a lie or not, it was true that Reborn was taking his time to teach him. That, Tsuna could not deny. And even though it was harsh, it was beneficial, right?

With new found resolve, Tsuna set off to scale up the river again. About ten steps later, a fish curled around his leg, making him shriek in surprise and fall into the water. Thus, he was back to where he started. _'No, this definitely isn't,' _Tsuna grumbled. If he was lucky, this would be the last thing for today. Getting up, he tried once again.

**LINESLINESLINES**

Coyote sighed. All the paperwork was killing him. He placed his elbows on the desk and rubbed his temples. It had already passed two in the morning quite some time ago, and Coyote felt like he wasn't going to get a chance to sleep at all.

"Tired?"

Coyote glanced upward and saw Visconti leaning against the door frame. "Immensely," he breathed. He had been sorting out the repercussions due to the murder as well as keeping everyone in check. He had to make changes to many plans as well as reschedule many appointments. He had to make sure everything was closed with a tight lid. He couldn't afford any loop holes or leaks at this crucial time. On top of that, he was heading the small research group deployed to dig up more clues on the mastermind behind the two recent killings. Trying to work around the fact that their boss had died proved to be very difficult, and Coyote was beyond tired.

With a chuckle, Visconti took the chair opposite of his dear friend. Bringing his glasses to rest on the top of his head, Visconti shot Coyote a speculative look. "It has only been four days and the allied famiglias are already sniffing around."

"Rumors can do us no harm. As long as their words continue to contain no stability in substance, we can still function as accordingly."

"Coyote... They are becoming restless. They know of Timoteo's death."

"And as I have stated, they know not for certain, as they have no proof."

"What about the public relations conference coming up in a few months?"

Coyote remained silent.

"Allied famiglias, such as the Cavallone, will follow our lead, but what of the skeptical ones? They will surely rise up and try to usurp control."

"No. We must not allow them to taint the name of Vongola any further."

"Then it is imperative that–"

"Yes, Visconti... I know." The other Ninth Generation Guardians filed into the room, eyes stern. "In three month's time, we must reveal to the entire underground world something I have feared for a while now."

Everyone's mood seemed to darken during the pause Coyote took. It was evident that some famiglias would question and challenge the hierarchy of ruling power if Coyote and the others were to present themselves alone on the day of the conference. They all knew it had to be done, but was it too early? Was this truly the right thing to do? Vongola held a darkness which none of the men in the room would want to pass down to anyone.

However, the issue of the allied famiglias and how they would react to the truth of Timoteo's death will prove to be a deathly blow. The situation would most likely break out into an internal war if they did not settle it from the start. To prevent the worst from happening, they could only see one viable option.

"We must present an heir."

**LINESLINESLINES**

Please don't take my word for any of that scientific know-how I wrote. I was in a hurry and hastily researched and drew something up. It kind of makes sense, but when you're actually an expert on the topic, it sounds like complete gibberish. I'm sorry, the concept is pretty hard to wrap your mind around when you're being rushed, haha.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Until next time! (Hopefully the wait won't be too suffering.)


	6. Awakening

Terribly sorry for such a long wait! I'm so sorryyyyyy! D: I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I'm very grateful to all your lovely reviews, favorites, alerts, etc. They always make me smile. :)

Just so you guys know (because it's been super long since the last update D:), the first part of this chapter is during the time when Reborn goes to train Tsuna in the forest (so it's kind of like a flashback). I added it to give a little insight, but I guess the spot I decided to put it in, in regards to the rest of the story, is pretty awkward. Sorry!

Disclaimer: I don't own KHReborn! :(

**LINESLINESLINES**

This was disconcerting. Frustrating, even. But no way in hell was it impossible. Nothing was impossible. And that is a philosophy Reborn followed strictly. However, that did not make him reckless. He knew when to withdraw and when to press onward. He was no fool, he knew his limits. But this... This was like rubbing salt on a fresh wound. This person – or rather persons as Reborn soon found out – was starting to irritate him, and Reborn would be damned if he let the charade go on any longer.

Everywhere he went, he had felt eyes on him. At first, he gave it no thought because he identified no malicious intent. However, as time continued to pass, Reborn realized these eyes weren't as harmless as he had first considered. They were incessant. They proved no threat, but they were always there. Whenever he'd try to pick them out in the open, they'd evade his piercing gaze and slip from his detection.

It wasn't long afterward that Reborn felt the presence of another pair of eyes. These were... interesting, to say the least. They were less subtle than the previous, but Reborn had an inkling suspicion that the person wanted to be noticed. However, they, too, avoided his search whenever he peered out into the crowd. Testing the waters, Reborn set out to see the skill level of this individual. He had felt its presence immediately after he had lead Tsuna towards the forest to continue his training. Without another thought, he went in for the first strike as the other let down his guard.

He darted through the trees without a noise and closed in on his target, but the other kept slipping away just when he got in reach. The game of cat and mouse played on for a while before Reborn took it as having no point. The other wasn't terrible, but he wasn't phenomenal either. If Reborn really wanted to catch him, he'd need to speed it up a bit from the rather slow pace he was keeping, but putting forth the effort seemed like a waste at the time. He collected the answer he wanted, so he decided to go towards the river he was supposed to lead Tsuna to.

Seeing his partner having already stumbled across it, Reborn calmly walked out from the dense forest and situated himself near the waterfall. After explaining the training to Tsuna, Reborn's instincts spiked as he sensed a threat nearby. He assessed the dangers while his eyes remained on Tsuna, as to not give away his motive.

One... Two. There were two of them, and by the feel of it, they were the two who had been watching him for quite some time. Smirking, Reborn titled his fedora lower, and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared.

**LINESLINESLINES**

"It was nice of you to give him encouragement."

"I only told him what was true. Obviously Reborn sees something in him, or else he wouldn't be wasting his time training the guy."

"I knew you were a softie on the inside."

The other rolled his eyes. "What happened to the chase?"

"I can't believe you left me alone with him! Oh my god, I was so afraid he'd shoot me in the eyes, or something."

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry."

"A-and you were the one who let his guard down, how could you do that?"

"Tsuna's trip startled me, is all."

The other gave his friend a hard stare, not buying his statement in the least. His friend quickly changed the subject. "Enough about me, what about you?"

"We struck a deal."

"You _what_?"

"We reached an impasse, since he couldn't make a move before he knew my full strength and because I didn't want to make a move."

"Of course, you're such a scaredy cat."

"I-I'm not good with combat, you know that!"

"Makes me wonder why you got dispatched as the spy. You've gotten better, I'll admit, but you're still far from perfect. The leader's probably suspicious, so he's testing you. Be careful, now, don't give us away."

"I-I know that!" He crossed his arms with a huff.

"What was the deal?"

"Um... H-how about we get some lunch? Lunch sounds good, yeah?"

"..."

"Stop giving me that look, you're making my stomach feel worse."

"...Sh–"

"Okay! Fine! I-I... now don't get mad at me, alright? I had no options..."

The other silently ushered him to continue.

"I should say that rather than a deal, it was more like coercion. He read me like a book – I felt so defenseless. Despite only asking questions, his intimidation was overly suffocating. I couldn't move at all. First, he... asked about you."

From the shocked look he got, the other hurriedly tried to explain.

"I-I didn't say anything. You know I wouldn't. But I don't think that did me much good. As I said, it was like he saw into my very being. He's just too creepy a person. No one should have eyes like that."

"Hmm, well, he is an interesting one, now isn't he? No wonder Luce's so proud."

"S-sorry... He probably knows you by now."

"...S'alright. Makes it all the more fun~."

"U-um... so, after I refused to talk about you, he made another request, but I don't really understand it."

"And that was part of the actual 'deal'?"

The other nodded solemnly. "He wanted me to gather information on someone, and in return, he wouldn't bother us anymore."

Cocking his head to the side, his friend asked, "Who else did he want to know about?"

"...Tsunayoshi Sawada."

**LINESLINESLINES**

The moon had already nestled itself high in the sky by the time Tsuna was making his way back to his dorm. He was debating on which was worse, a duel in the Battle Arena or Reborn's training. Nursing a growing headache, Tsuna trudged along the vacant sidewalk.

The lamp posts lit the lonely walkway as a small breeze rustled the leaves of the trees. Tsuna's mind was on auto-pilot until he heard a distinctive crunch. Halting, Tsuna lifted up his shoe and looked underneath it. Forcing his eyes to focus, Tsuna wondered briefly if he was seeing correctly. _'Is that candy?'_

Immediately afterward, Tsuna heard a small wail beside him. Turning his head, he noticed a boy around his age sniffling over the thing he had stepped on. Realizing what was happening, Tsuna quickly tried to apologize.

"U-uh, I'm sorry! I-I didn't notice..."

"... my..."

"E-excuse me?"

"That was my..."

"Um–"

"That was my favorite flavor!"

Tsuna couldn't find words to respond. What was he supposed to say to that?

"You're – you're so _stupid_!" The boy stomped his foot for emphasis.

Tsuna opened and closed his mouth, still searching for words. "I-I–"

"I was saving it for later, but then some jerk stole it from me and threw it. I've been searching for it this whole time because it's," the boy started tearing up, "it's," he sniffled again, "_it's grape_!"

"W-what?"

With his mood getting progressively worse, the other didn't bother to answer Tsuna's question.

"U-um, if it's okay, I could buy you some grape candy," Tsuna suggested hesitantly.

The boy instantly brightened. "You will?"

Finding himself smiling at the action, Tsuna answered, "Yeah."

At a nearby convenience store just off of campus, the two settled into a booth after having bought a bag of grape candy. Tsuna watched as the other ripped open the bag, unwrapped a candy, and happily popped it into his mouth. Sighing contently, the boy shut both his eyes and reveled at the taste. Opening an eye, he addressed Tsuna rather calmly as opposed to his earlier display. "My name's Lambo, by the way. You are?"

"Oh, um, Tsuna."

"Nice to make your acquaintance, Tsuna. Thank you for the treat."

"You're welcome..." Tsuna replied in a confused manner. With the way Lambo was acting now, it was a wonder if the person Tsuna had seen earlier was real.

Tsuna slipped into his seat as he watched Lambo devour the candy he had bought him. The other was wearing a cow print shirt with an open collar. His hair was dark and unruly, and his eyes shone a bright green. Now that he had calmed down, he had an air of nonchalance and insouciance. Tsuna was quite amazed at the stark differences in demeanor.

"Now I remember you. You were in a duel, weren't you?" Lambo asked suddenly.

Startled, Tsuna quickly replied, "Y-yes, I was." His head lowered slightly as he remembered the glum mood he had taken on after the battle. He knew all too well the reason as to why it came about, and it hurt to recall the memory. Tsuna breathed out a low sigh, trying to get a grip on himself. In the past, he had been afraid to confront his insecurities and uselessness. It was easier to ignore others' scorn than to face the truth and accept it willingly. But he held a new mindset now. He had acknowledged his weaknesses and was now working towards improvement. He was taking a step forward – for the first time in his life. It was a new, refreshing feeling that left his skin tingling. His intuition did back flips just thinking about it, which helped reassure his timidness.

Lambo had remained completely silent throughout Tsuna's pondering, observing him earnestly. He rolled the grape candy around in his mouth, conjuring thoughts of his own as the time ticked by. He crossed his arms as he leaned back. "Hmm, so you're with Reborn," he drawled.

Tsuna nodded and stared at the counter top. Lambo glanced down and studied Tsuna again. Straightening up, he rested his forearms on the table and leaned in to ask, "How'd you break your arm?"

Surprised, Tsuna followed Lambo's view to his sling. He almost forgot he had a broken arm, as ludicrous as it sounded. So much had happened that he had no spare time to give thought to it. "It's quite complicated... The doctor said it's healing well, though."

Lambo hummed in understanding. "You're a nice person."

"Huh?"

"You got your arm broken, but you hold no malice towards the one responsible. I can tell by your eyes – they're clear and bright."

"Oh, um, thank you? By the way, how–"

"Hey! If it ain't my old buddy, Sawase," a voice called out.

Tsuna and Lambo both turned their heads at the stranger approaching their table. He wore their school crest on his shirt, signaling he was a student from Yggdrasil. The person pushed his way into the booth seat Tsuna was in and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. He promptly ignored Lambo on the opposite side.

"How's it going? Life treating you well?" he continued smoothly, neglecting the fact that he had interrupted their chat.

Feeling incredibly uncomfortable, Tsuna stammered, "W-what?"

"Come on, Sawaki! You know me," he jeered, grinning widely.

Tsuna slowly shook his head, uncertain of where the conversation was going. Suddenly, he felt a painful grip on his shoulder. He caught a glimpse of the hand resting on his shoulder out of the corner of his eyes and gulped.

"Don't you?" the other prodded. The grip became more forceful, causing Tsuna to wince.

"Y-yeah."

"Atta boy. Now, can you do me a favor?"

Lambo had stopped enjoying his candy and was watching the display unfold in front of him. He frowned a little at the tight grasp, which had no intention of letting up. He took one look at Tsuna's frightened face and his eyes hardened.

"Good, good," the stranger pressed on, taking Tsuna's silence as confirmation, "well, one of my guys is dueling an Arcobaleno this week, and I _really_ want him to win. But the odds are quite against us, you know. You're friends with them, ain't cha? So, I was wondering if you could make the playing field a little more to our liking. You get what I'm saying?"

"U-uhm–"

The grip became more severe as the man shot Tsuna a prickling stare.

"But–" Tsuna began to protest.

"You get me, right? I'm only trying to make it fair for the rest of us. If they won all the time, it'd be unjust. A few losses here and there won't hurt them, right? I'm only trying to help out a friend here."

"But then it wouldn't be fair to the Arcobaleno," Tsuna concluded in a small voice. "It would be cheating." As Tsuna spoke, the grip gradually eased off until the arm around his shoulders was withdrawn altogether. Tsuna let out a breath as the tension lifted somewhat. Then, Tsuna felt a hand grab the side of his head. In a split second, his head was slammed onto the table roughly. Tsuna saw black for a moment before shutting his eyes to help his vision refocus.

"Listen here, you piece of shit. I don't think you heard me correctly. That was an _order_. Either you get that punk to lose or I bash your skull in."

Abruptly, the weight on Tsuna's head was gone and a pained cry reached his ears. Tsuna snapped open his eyes and saw Lambo had twisted the person's arm behind his back in a hammerlock. The guy swallowed whimpers as he glared up at Lambo. "Fuck off," he hissed.

"I'll break it," Lambo spoke evenly. To emphasize his point, he applied more pressure to the arm.

"Fine, I give, I give!"

Lambo let go and the guy stumbled forward. Without another thought, the boy turned around and lunged at the other. Narrowly evading it, Lambo rushed toward Tsuna and grabbed his arm to pull him along. They burst through the doors of the convenience store and set a fast pace.

"L-Lambo, where are we going? The university's that way!"

"That guy had two others with him. They'd probably hound us before we got to the dorms. We're going downtown to lose their trail."

They ducked into a small cafe after getting into the heart of the bustling city. Panting from their excursion, they chose a table in the back and quickly sat down. Shortly after, Lambo slumped over the table and cradled his head in his arms. "Wahhh," he exclaimed, thoroughly overwhelmed. Tsuna blinked at the action.

"That was so scary! I can't believe I just did that! He's totally going to bully me now," Lambo whimpered. "And I left my candy back there, too! What do I do!?"

"I'm sorry, Lambo, it's all my fault," Tsuna murmured.

Lambo simply buried his head further into the crevice of his arms and made a noncommittal sound. Silence fell over them, so Tsuna decided to occupy himself by observing the cafe they entered. There were few customers aside from them, but the store still gave off a warm atmosphere. Soft music flowed in the background and the smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. The chime of a bell made Tsuna's ears perk up, and he gazed at the door. Eyes widening, he ducked down lower and whispered, "Lambo! They're here!"

Lambo mumbled incoherently and remained in the same position, seemingly not sensing Tsuna's growing panic. Realizing that trying to hide in such an empty cafe would be useless, Tsuna quickly got up and snatched Lambo's arm to yank him out of the seat. While running towards the back exit, Tsuna's heart beat faster as he heard loud footsteps right behind them.

They broke out into the open air and quickly got swept up in a passing crowd. Tsuna dragged Lambo along to the crosswalk, but the sign blinked red, halting their movements. Biting his lip, Tsuna peered through the crowd and saw a handful of people running their way. Cars sped past them on the road, making it impossible to cross without causing an accident. Tsuna searched for another way out and found stairs that lead down to a subway station. Rushing to them, Tsuna nearly tripped in his haste to get down the stairs. Jumping the last few steps, he picked a random direction as he switched to a run.

Never having gone out of the university since he had arrived, Tsuna knew nothing of the layout of the city, much less its underground subway system. With each turn, Tsuna felt more and more lost. Having reached his limit, Tsuna finally let go of Lambo and rested his hand on his knee to breathe in air heavily.

"Looks like we're lost," Lambo declared.

Panting, Tsuna cast him a worried look. "I was hoping you'd know where we were going."

"Nope."

Tsuna sighed loudly and sat down.

"If we die, I'm blaming you."

"Wh– I– just–! I never asked for them to bother us!"

"And I never asked for you to step on my candy."

Tsuna dropped his head and decided to give up on the argument. He surveyed the tunnel they were in and observed how desolate it was. In front of them were gates to get into the the actual subway station, of which they would need tickets to get in. However, they didn't have the luxury of time nor money when the sound of stomps and shouting reached their ears.

Seeing how Tsuna was hesitating, Lambo looked around for anyone before lugging the boy to the gates and jumping over the tripod turnstiles. Taken by surprise, Tsuna didn't manage to jump properly, and was half pulled while half stumbling over the dividing line. Tsuna crashed into Lambo and sent them both tumbling to the floor.

Faces popped up around the corner, while Tsuna and Lambo attempted to stand. Tsuna blinked back tears as he got off his broken arm, while Lambo was rubbing the tender spot on his head that made contact with the concrete. An ear-piercing alarm sounded throughout the tunnel as the gates started closing. Red lights flashed and the emptiness of the place made it seem all the more eerie.

"Eeek!" the pair shrieked as they broke out into running again. The guys that rounded the corner had squeezed through the closing gates and were gaining on their prey.

"Crap, crap, crap," Lambo shouted like a mantra, trying to go as fast as his legs could take him. Tsuna began moderately slowing down, and before Lambo knew it, the distance between them had tripled. Stopping completely, Lambo turned around to find Tsuna crouching on the ground, breathing heavily and clutching his chest.

"I can't... need a break... it hurts," Tsuna managed to gasp out. He calmed down slightly and stared at the ground in misery. "I'm sorry. I got you involved in this. I'm really sorry."

Lambo stood straight and clenched his fists. He examined Tsuna's apparent pain and his arm in the sling. The bruises and cuts he had seen earlier in the market were probably taking their toll right now. Lambo could only guess that Tsuna had done something pretty rough before they had met.

"I'm sor–"

"Stop apologizing," Lambo interrupted firmly.

Tsuna was taken back by the sudden tone. After a moment, Lambo sighed and motioned for Tsuna to follow him into an deserted corridor. Soon, footsteps came thudding past, completely overlooking the little hiding place they occupied. After the sounds were far enough away, Lambo focused his one eye onto Tsuna.

"We're friends, right?" Lambo grinned as he fished his pockets for a piece of candy before popping it into his mouth. "At least, we should be, considering what we've already gotten ourselves into," he said with a short laugh. "Friends are supposed to help each other. I chose to do this." He raised a hand and tapped Tsuna's chest with his knuckles. "We'll beat them for sure."

"How fucking touching. Makes me want to shit rainbows and cry glitter."

The two froze in the hallway, recognizing the voice. However, this time, it was laced with venom. They twisted to face the entryway and spotted the person from earlier smirking at them with his arms crossed.

"Wahh, it's you," Lambo yelled while pointing a finger at the person. Without another thought, he ran the opposite way with a loud cry, leaving Tsuna awkwardly standing in front of the other.

"Um," Tsuna tried to stall, rubbing his head. The guy took a step forward, making Tsuna immediately yelp and follow Lambo.

The alarm was still ringing in Tsuna's ears and he briefly wondered how long it would take before officials came to arrest them for trespassing. Inwardly weeping at all the trouble they were going to get into, Tsuna rounded a corner before being pulled roughly into a closet. A hand clamped over his mouth to silence him. "That was close," a voice whispered. Tsuna instantly identified it as Lambo's. Pulling the hand off, Tsuna grumbled, "Thanks for leaving me behind. What happened to all that bravado?"

"Every man for himself."

"Weren't you just saying friends should help each other?"

"I did, but even I can't help stupidity."

"What?!"

"When you see that guy, you book it! Running is always a viable strategy."

"I thought we could take him. I mean, you did it before!"

"W-well, of course I could have done it if I wanted to, I just didn't feel like it. Besides, he's way too scary now."

Tsuna grimaced at that. "And he's got company."

"That's right, and they're bound to be like him. Scary plus scary equals freaking scary."

Suddenly, the door busted open and a shadow cast over them. With an annoyed look, the person snagged their collars and dragged them out. "Here they are," he exclaimed. Soon, a small semi-circle had formed around the door, and at the center was the one from the market who started the whole thing, presumably their leader. He stepped forward as Tsuna and Lambo pressed their backs to the wall. With surprising speed and strength, he had them by their necks. Slamming them once against the wall, he said, "Let's take a walk, shall we?"

They were shoved back to the subway tunnel where the alarm still blared. Tsuna was surprised to see it bare. Surely, they hadn't gone too far inside the subway system as to have lost all contact with others? Subway security should have gotten word of their break-in by now. Where was everyone?

Everyone seemed to have gathered by now, and sneers were sent Tsuna's way. It was like they were children in a toy store. Their eyes lit up at the two and they whipped out their magic left and right.

_'Such untamed beasts,'_ Lambo spat.

Here, the group could let loose with no restraints, and they were loving every second of it. It didn't matter the amount of destruction there were doing to the place, as long as they got to let off a bit of steam. Chunks of the wall were taken out, the gates were reduced to rubble, and the alarm was shot broken. Some cable lines fizzled from being severed and sparks flew out in spurts. The chance to show off their strength was the only thing on their minds.

One guy cast his magic to make restraints to bind Tsuna and Lambo's arms and legs. Two guys lifted Tsuna up as the leader approached with a yellow glow of magic around his hands. Without hesitation, he gave a swift punch to Tsuna's gut. The magic burned the clothes and the skin underneath in seconds as Tsuna yelled out in pain.

Satisfied with the reaction, the guy took a step back to survey the other. "Ah, your arm's still broken, huh," he asked as he moved to grab it. The sling easily disintegrated and Tsuna's arm was scorched.

"Tsuna," Lambo shouted in panic. Tsuna bit back a scream as he gave Lambo a weak smile. Gritting his teeth, Lambo's anger rose as the person kept torturing Tsuna with his magic. His friends stood around him and laughed at the ordeal, including the ones holding him down to the floor. He struggled to loosen their hold on him, but that only got his head shoved into the concrete coupled with a snide remark.

After a few more punches, the leader straightened out and inquired, "Had enough? This can always stop if you agree to do what I told you."

Tsuna remained silent with his head hung low. He mumbled something that had the others straining to hear. One of them yanked his head up by his hair and hissed, "What was that?"

"Let him go."

It took them a while to realize who he was talking about. The leader gestured to Lambo and asked, "What, him? Why?"

"You trying to be a hero, pipsqueak?" another added in.

Tsuna tried to laugh, but let out a string of coughs instead. "Hardly. I am no hero, but he's a friend, and I won't let anyone hurt my friends."

They all burst out laughing. "Look at this kid, trying to threaten us in the position he's in!"

"How stupid can he get!"

"What an idiot!"

When the noise died down, the leader walked over to where Lambo was being held down. "So, you want to protect him, eh?" He raised a foot and stomped on Lambo's head. "This piece of trash? Well, let's see you try and stop this." With that, he swung a kick aimed for the temple.

"That hurt! Ow," Lambo wailed, while glaring upwards. "You guys are a bunch of mean idiots!" He stuck his tongue out as much as he could, while the three around him laughed. The two guys holding him down raised him to his knees as the leader got ready to place another kick, disregarding his comments.

Tsuna's eyes widened as the onslaught continued. His eyes flashed in rage and he tried to pry off the arms keeping him back. "Stop it! Stop!"

The other only laughed louder as he heard Tsuna's protests. A shock of electricity went through Tsuna's system when his movements got more frantic and unorthodox. "Shut up and stay put," the person on the left of him commanded. "Know your place."

"Alright, how about this?" the leader asked, as he flexed his hand out. The glow around it grew darker in color until it was a rich gold. "This is hot enough to melt the flesh off your bones. This is your last chance, weakling."

Fear crept into Tsuna's eyes as he stared at the hand and then at Lambo. Agony streaked across his face as he thought about his decision. After a while, he shut his eyes and relented. "...Okay."

"Good boy," the other praised as he lowered his arm somewhat. Relief poured into Tsuna as he saw the hand retracting. "But just to make sure you don't change your mind..." the leader mused. The magic burned brighter in an instant and he raised his arm to swipe down at Lambo's chest. The cuts weren't deep, but they made their point. Lambo cried out in anguish as sobs raked his throat. Tsuna's anger spiked and his eyes flickered to orange.

In the next moment, the tunnel erupted with orange flames. Then, as quickly as they came, they disappeared, along with everyone engulfed in them.

**LINESLINESLINES**

Reborn was currently in the lobby of his residence hall, quietly reading a book. For some reason, he couldn't fall asleep, so he decided to relax in a couch by the fireplace. It was getting awfully warm, and Reborn was debating whether to go back up to his room, when he felt a presence. Smirking, he welcomed it as he was expecting the arrival sooner or later. Shutting his book, he laid it on the cushion beside him before getting up. Straightening out his suit, he put his hands in his pockets and waited.

"Byakuran," Reborn addressed to the open air, "formerly known as the boss of the Millefiore family, which was one of the many mafia families to have collapsed during the Autorità War twelve years ago in Northern Italy. Nicknamed the 'White Ghost' for his uncanny ability to absorb magic and seemingly warp realities."

"Mm, you've done your research," a voice announced while stepping out of the shadows. Reborn's eyes narrowed as he took in the appearance of the other. White hair with a tattoo under his left eye. However, what Reborn was most focused on was his eyes. They were too deep a shade to be as carefree as the other's outward personality suggested. He was no ordinary foe.

"What do you want?"

"Oh, Reborn, why so straight-forward? I wanted to chat a little, just you and me." A blithe laugh followed, seemingly unfazed by the tension within the room. Reborn remained silent and merely crossed his arms. Byakuran took that as his cue to continue. "How are you?"

Reborn blinked at the question, not really understanding its purpose. What was he trying to pull..?

"No need to frown so much, Reborn. I'll have you know, I'm fond of you two."

"Two?"

"Why, I'm including adorable, little Tsuna, of course!"

Reborn's fingers twitched somewhat as he suddenly got the urge to draw his gun. Despite his growing suspicions, his face remained impassive. However, Byakuran caught the slight change and smirked.

"No need to be so stiff, I'm not lying. You two do hold a place in my heart."

"And why is that?"

"Is there something wrong with it?"

Reborn grunted in answer.

A pause came over the two, in which the crackle of the fireplace was the only sound that reached their ears.

"You have quite the tight leash on Tsuna, don't you?"

Reborn's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I guess it's only natural. He is your partner and all. The contract between you two is special, I'll give you that, but I wonder... Can you feel it?"

"... Feel what?"

"The mark of a truly bonded contract."

"..."

"You understand me, don't you? So, let me ask again, can you _feel_ it?"

Abruptly, Reborn felt a searing pain coming from his throat. He clutched it as his breath was squeezed out of him. His lungs felt constricted, as if a layer of ice had covered them. His very bones were chilled, but Reborn could find no source of the sudden cold. The surroundings hadn't changed, Byakuran was fine, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. This was–!

**LINESLINESLINES**

"Ow, ow, ow," Lambo muttered as he tried to stretch out the kinks in his back. The floor felt cold and dry with small pieces of something scattered around. It was too dark to make out anything. He couldn't even see the hand he waved in front of his face. Standing unsteadily, he groped around in the air to find a wall or a means to support himself. Without warning, he tripped and fell over something moderately big. Getting on his hands and knees, he rubbed his throbbing nose in agitation. He touched the thing he fell over gingerly and realized it was a body. Feeling the outline, he traveled up to the head, whispering, "Tsuna, that you? Tsuna~," while drawing out the last syllable. He pinched the nose and slapped the cheeks, accidentally poked an eye and pulled on an ear, before the person stirred.

"Ugh."

Lambo stilled. He knew that voice, and it sure as hell wasn't Tsuna. Letting out a shriek, Lambo slapped the person upside the head and leaped into a run. He feet trampled on the unidentifiable pieces on the floor, but from the sound of it, it was like hitting hollow pieces of wood. He almost tripped on what he guessed was a second body before colliding with a wall.

"Where am I," Lambo asked miserably. He took a second to marvel at how his voice echoed in the background. His teeth started to chatter from the bitter frost of the place, and he let out a whiny noise. Suddenly, a source of light to the right of him appeared from what looked like a doorway.

A shadow blocked the new-found light and motioned towards Lambo. "Loud brat, get in here."

Lambo immediately clammed up and nodded dumbly. For some reason, the temperature seemed to drop even lower due to the voice, making Lambo's ego take a step back.

Stepping into the candle lit room, Lambo knew at once where he was. A growing sense of dread invaded his veins as he recalled the memories of when his family had advised him to heed the dangers of the area. He started to shake from fright, not even registering the cold anymore. Why were they here of all places?

Terror gripped his senses when he noticed two figures in the middle of the room. One of them was Tsuna being held up by his neck and fighting to get loose. The other was draped in a tattered cloak and a dark top hat. Bandages snaked their way around the arm seizing Tsuna's neck. Lambo trembled in horror at the sight, unable to take a step or even speak. The voice that came from the dark figure made a shudder go through everyone's spine.

"It is time for your punishment, foolish one. Be thankful for we are here to purge you of your sins against the law, lest Ríki Töfra be further tainted by your insolence. We are the Vindicé."

**LINESLINESLINES**

Not going to lie, Lambo was really hard for me to write. Gosh darn!

I'm sorry for the mistakes and whatnot. I'll be rereading the chapter again and again to try and catch them all.

I won't be able to update until Winter Break (which starts on the 13th for me :D) because of all the final exams I have coming up. :( Wish me luck!


	7. Disclosure (Part I)

I really did not intend for it to take this long to update. I apologize profusely for keeping you guys waiting. Thank you to all who give this story your attention and love. It means a lot. And thanks to those who wished me luck! Please enjoy!

I'm cutting this into two parts because it's super long due to all the talking.

**Disclaimer:** KHReborn shall never ever be mine. :(

**LINESLINESLINES**

"What did you do?"

"What, me? _I_ did nothing."

"That feeling you were asking me about, you meant the connection of physical pain between a contracted Stefna and Verktaki, correct?"

"Ding ding! Even though that's only supposed to kick in at least a year or two into a contract formation, you guys have managed to do it in just a measly four days. Quite a feat, I must say."

"I don't need your praise. If what I felt was that, then something must have gone wrong. Where's Tsuna."

"Hmm, well, I can't say I know for sure~"

"You–"

"So this is where you've been, Byakuran."

Both men turned to face the woman who entered the lobby. Reborn's eyes further narrowed when he recognized her features as the dim, flickering light of the fire danced on her delicate frame.

"Oh, Luce, good to see you," Byakuran greeted casually.

She pursed her lips. "Honestly, you prance around too much when I let you go."

"Aw, Luce, don't be so strict. I always come back when you summon me to your office."

Luce rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "What are you telling Reborn?"

"Um–"

"Are you filling his mind with rubbish?"

"I would never," Byakuran gasped, feigning shock.

"How many years do you think we've been together? I know you better than you know yourself."

Byakuran grinned at her, and she returned it with a smile. Reborn had collected himself and was now assessing the situation carefully. "You two have quite a long past, it seems," he noted.

Luce regarded Reborn with warm eyes. "He's my Stefna. We met when we were children."

Reborn shifted his sight back and forth between the two. Well, this was interesting news. "Then I assume you were the one who ordered him to tail me. Why?"

"...It's nothing you need to concern yourself with right now, Reborn," Luce answered slowly.

"It involves not only me, but my partner, as well. I believe I have a right to know."

Luce hesitated to reply. Sensing her anxiety, Byakuran clicked his tongue and interjected. "You have bigger issues to tend to, Reborn. You're pressed for time, aren't you?"

Reborn grit his teeth in displeasure. Byakuran was right. He couldn't afford to waste anymore time.

"Now, you said you felt excruciatingly cold, right? Tsuna must be freezing right now–"

"Tsuna?" Luce interrupted, "What happened? Is he hurt?"

The ears of the other two perked up at the sound of her frantic voice. It was barely noticeable, but they were skilled enough to catch the slight tremor that accompanied her words. Reborn tilted his chin slightly and studied her following actions closely. Byakuran filled her in briefly and she placed a hand over her mouth.

"Oh dear... I didn't tell him. How could I have overlooked such a detail–!" Luce murmured to herself as realization dawned on her. Tsuna was _there_, of all places.

"Oh, Luce, you had a hand in this?" Byakuran asked innocently.

Luce's mouth tightened into a line and she gave Byakuran a stern look. "You knew."

Byakuran's face fell and he put aside his joking, as if he was being scolded. "...I didn't think Tsuna would be such a trouble magnet."

Luce closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. "No, the fault was initially mine." She opened her eyes to reveal a tint of seriousness and severity swirling within them. "Byakuran, you look after the school. I'll be out for a moment."

**LINESLINESLINES**

Lambo's lips trembled as he stood frozen on the spot. _'Come on, move mouth, move!'_ No matter how much he screamed inside his mind, his body refused to follow. Fear was overriding his actions and he soon realized he was no longer in control. His instincts had taken command due to the flood of hostile aura that came from the cloaked man. It was slowly seeping into his thoughts, telling him, _'Run!'_

A choking sound coming from Tsuna woke Lambo up enough to yell, "S-stop!"

The man, who referred to himself as part of the Vindicé, turned his head to stare coldly at Lambo before flinging Tsuna across the cavern. Tsuna crashed to the floor, coughing violently. He remained on his back as he nursed his neck while trying to breathe. Short gasps were all that reached his lungs, but fortunately the black dots in his vision were disappearing. Lambo quickly went over to Tsuna and helped him sit up. After Tsuna's breathing was more or less normal, Lambo whipped around to snap at the man.

However, one look had him staring at the ground. The man's feet were as high as Lambo could manage with a brave face still in place. While glaring at the bottom of the man's cloak, Lambo demanded, "Stop hurting Tsuna! He didn't do anything wrong!"

"Are you refusing the laws of Ríki Töfra, boy?"

"I-It was self-defense!"

"Be it of acrimony or righteousness, the law remains broken, nonetheless. Therefore, he is to be punished."

"...Then what about–"

"Those who tarnish what is decreed by Ríki Töfra shall henceforth discover their resting place to be here. Those ruffians in the previous room shall also face our wrath."

"What," Tsuna rasped between coughs, "what so called 'law' did I break?"

The man silently observed Tsuna, as if deciding whether or not he had gained the right to have his life prolonged any further. A low jingling sound permeated the room as he spoke. "Such impudence. To roam the streets and not even know–"

"Calm yourself, Jager. That is enough." Another man made himself known, stepping into the dimly lit cave from one of the corridors. Jager stopped and slowly straightened out while his chains retreated back into his cloak.

"My humblest apologies," Jager said with a bow.

Chuckling, the new person strolled over to Lambo and Tsuna to kneel beside them. Tsuna could feel a nagging sensation inside his gut. Something was off about this guy. The other was dressed much like Jager. He had gauze wrapped completely around his body, even his face. He wore a top hat and a cloak with a feather collar.

"Bermuda. Charmed," he announced in greeting, but did not extend a hand to shake. A small nod was all Tsuna could manage, and with that, Bermuda rose to his feet to go over to Jager. He turned around with a swish of his cloak to answer Tsuna.

"The law you broke happens to be one of the most important and strictly enforced laws we have. It's the use of magic without a license or authorization. Outside of certified grounds, such as a magical school, the law comes into effect. Both you and those people in the subway have committed a crime," Bermuda explained. "We have summoned you all with the use of one of our magic portals. They function quite remarkably, but it seems to have sucked in everything, rather than just those who needed to be brought here." Bermuda's gaze lingered on Lambo as he spoke the last sentence before giving a demonstration. He waved his hand and a black hole formed in front of him. "We use these," he said as he stepped through it, "to travel," he finished right next to Tsuna's face.

Tsuna jerked at the sudden appearance. When he got a better look, he realized another circle of black fire had been created next to him, and that Bermuda had just teleported from half-way across the room in a split second. Said man went back to Jager's side as Tsuna attempted to wrap his head around the concept.

"So you mean to say the Vindicé have the ability to warp through space?"

"Among other things, yes."

Tsuna fell silent, and Bermuda took the chance to gather his thoughts. _'If I'm not mistaken, this is the son of Iemitsu...'_ Memories in the back of his mind prickled his body. He released a small sound of annoyance in the back of his throat. Jager stiffened slightly when he felt Bermuda's mood darken.

"E-eh?!" Lambo shouted, breaking the ambiance. His hands fumbled around his chest and patted the area in a flurry. Tsuna looked at him questioningly when their gazes met. "M-my," Lambo stuttered, hands stilling, "my wounds..."

Miffed, Tsuna shifted cautiously, testing out his own aches and pains. To his surprise, they were also gone – at least the ones inflicted on him at the underground station. He tried flexing his broken arm and received no biting stabs of discomfort in return. Taking it out of the sling, he fully examined it before lowering it to his side.

They gave each other a look of disbelief. Then, they directed it toward the opposite pair. Jager remained impassive and Bermuda cocked his head, thinking up a storm of theories and possibilities. In contrast to his string of ideas, Bermuda gave a curt reply. "T'wasn't us."

Their eyes were skeptical, but he had told the truth. Why would the Vindicé possibly think of curing their ailments when their deaths were but a breath away? It was a mockery to even consider it. Bermuda frowned as his thoughts swirled around. _'It must have been his magic... but the power of healing should only be gifted to the Giallo. People of his kind are curious individuals, indeed.'_

A suspicion struck Bermuda suddenly, causing him to snarl, "Enough." He gestured toward Tsuna and Lambo with his chin, silently commanding his subordinate. Jager got the gist and short warped behind the two. He grabbed them by the back of their collars and pulled them to a standing position. He started shoving them toward Bermuda. Their feet dragged and stumbled across the floor in their endeavor to break free, but they reached him in a matter of seconds, regardless.

"W-wait," Tsuna said rashly, "hold on!"

To humor the boy, Bermuda paused in his actions and extinguished the black flames dancing along his form. Tsuna pulled on the front of his collar to lessen the pain and took a couple of breaths before he continued.

"Why," he began, "why are you doing this to Lambo? He never used magic in the subway."

"I am aware. I was in the process of returning him to the streets of the city until you so kindly interrupted."

Tsuna's mouth formed a little 'o' and he flushed slightly with embarrassment. Lambo, however, wriggled around even more.

"No! I won't go! I won't leave Tsuna alone with you horrible–" Lambo dug through his brain for the right word, "horrible–! Ahck!" Finding the ordeal as a headache, Bermuda signaled for Jager to throw the boy through the black portal before he could finish his rant.

Lambo landed on the ground gruffly. Groaning from the collision, he slowly sat up and opened his eyes. He felt mortified when he caught sight of speeding cars and bustling people. He was back in the city – at the entrance to the underground station, to be precise. Tears prickled his eyes in vexation. He quickly swiped them away and got to his feet. First, he had to go back to Yggdrasil to inform the Head Mistress.

**LINESLINESLINES**

"Head Mistress! Head Mistress," Lambo yelled while banging on the door to her office, "I know it's really super late and I should be in bed and you're probably not even there, but please, if you are, hear me out! It's an emergency! It's–"

"Yes?" Abruptly, the door opened to reveal someone Lambo had never seen before. He let his hand hang in the air for a few more seconds before lowering it back down to his side rigidly. "Luce is out right now, but if you have a message, I can pass it along for you. I'm Byakuran, by the way."

Lambo bowed slightly and tripped over his words for a second, before saying, "Nice to meet you sir, I'm Lambo. U-um, it's about Tsuna– ...Uwahh, I don't know his last name!"

"Well, I'm afraid I'll need a full name before I can do anything, really," Byakuran commented in jest.

"Um, um, ah! He's contracted with Reborn!"

"Reborn...?" Byakuran prodded, silently asking for the full name.

"No, no, it should just be Reborn. He doesn't have a surname... does he?" Lambo whispered the last part to himself with a troubled expression. He started releasing a series of possible candidates fervently under his breath.

"No surname? Preposterous! Everyone must have one," Byakuran claimed, ignoring the fact that neither he nor Luce possessed one. However, Lambo didn't know that, and Byakuran was simply having a little too much fun teasing him.

"Jerk? Loser? Bully? Poopface? Man, all these match him so perfectly, but none of them seem to click." Lambo continued to speak to himself in deep thought.

Byakuran burst out laughing at Lambo's absurd guesses, causing the other to stop and stare at him. Byakuran placed a hand over his eyes while his body shook from chuckling. Lambo gradually grew self-conscious. What had he said wrong?

"I recall," Byakuran began, having recovered to some extent, "I think I recall those students now. What about them?"

Lambo straightened his back and reported, "Tsuna has been taken away by the Vindicé! He used magic outside of the university to help me, and now he's going to be killed! We have to save him!"

"The Vindicé, hmm? That's quite a tall order you have."

"B-but, but–"

"Coupled with the fact that he _did_ break a law..."

"But!"

"And it won't be easy getting into the Vindicé HQ, much less convincing them to let the boy go..."

Lambo's shoulders sagged in hopelessness as he sunk to his knees. Noticing his inner turmoil, Byakuran decided to end his little charade and partially enlighten the boy. He had had his fun, so he might as well reassure the other.

"Don't worry, things are just starting to heat up~"

**LINESLINESLINES**

"Lambo!" Tsuna tried to go after him, but the grip on his shirt tightened further.

Bermuda huffed slightly and closed the portal. "Do not fret, I keep my word. He has returned to the city." He nodded toward Jager, who nodded back. Jager released his hold and disappeared not a moment later, leaving Bermuda and Tsuna alone inside the cavern. They had a short silence, in which each studied the other curiously.

"Iemitsu Sawada," Bermuda proclaimed suddenly.

Tsuna tensed at the sudden call of his father's name. Unbeknownst to him, Bermuda held a scowl behind the bandages wrapped around his face as he spoke. Iemitsu was respectable, filled with honor and loyalty. He constantly had a goofy grin on his face, as if the world consisted of nothing but a field of flowers and butterflies. It made Bermuda cringe just thinking about him. How could a person with his profession be that bubbly? He had two distinctive sides, from what Bermuda could gather after a couple of encounters with him – one that possessed a horridly overt love for his family and another darker self that was specifically used for his occupation.

Iemitsu was quite the enigmatic man. He'd gush over how lovely his wife was or how adorable his son had become, acting like such an airheaded romantic one minute, and then the next, he'd switch to a cold-hearted killer. The frightening amount of control he exuded over his magic had raised him in the ranks as one of the best in his field. It was sickening.

However, even though Bermuda harbored contempt for the man, he wasn't the reason why irritation bubbled inside his veins. It was because Iemitsu brought up the memory of _him_. God, what he wouldn't do to be able to wring that neck of his and tear off that smug face. That man was the bane of his existence.

_Checkerface._

_'That loathsome swine murdered my former self without any hesitation,'_ Bermuda thought bitterly, unconsciously grinding his teeth together. He vowed to obtain his vengeance through any means necessary, and quite frankly, the only thing sustaining his life at the moment was the thrill of knowing that someday he'd be able to rip out the heart of his most detested enemy. He had believed it would take years beyond this point in time, but with this boy... He might be able to taste the delights of victory sooner than anticipated.

According to his sources, Checkerface was now operating under the ruse of a well-off company. It was a simple cover and had a stable foundation, despite being formed only months ago. The business interactions and the stocks were all a guise for his true objective. If Bermuda was correct, Checkerface wanted something that had to do with individuals like those in the Vongola and Arcobaleno – special beings who have transcended the known principles and boundaries of magic. Bermuda had recently caught wind of Iemitsu's death, confirming his suspicions of what exactly was transpiring within Checkerface's mind. With Iemitsu lost, the key this time would lie with his son, Tsunayoshi Sawada. If he could just twist and manipulate the boy to his liking, it would be sublime.

What a quirk of fate for them to have met again under these circumstances.

Tsuna had remained absolutely motionless throughout the long pause that developed between the two. Questions kept whirling around in his head. Why was his father mentioned? What was his connection to the Vindicé? He was snapped out of his stupor when Bermuda continued.

"Do you know how your father died, Sawada? Nay, I should ask do you know _why_?"

"W-why..?"

"Were you ever briefed on the details? Or did they throw you a 'he was killed for a noble cause' as an explanation?"

Tsuna visibly recoiled at the remark. Hurt and confusion swirled in his eyes, and he tried blinking them away. "I-I don't..."

"Hm? You don't know? That's a pity. How about your mother? How did she come to pass?"

Tsuna was at a loss for words. He was informed that his mother had died alongside his father, but...

"No? Would you like to know? Know of how your mother was callously shot several times? Know of how your father tried in vain to protect her? Know of how your family ties are the root of all these causes, a catalyst for death and misfortune? All these things are like pieces of a puzzle."

"D-don't... S–… How do.."

"How do I know? Please understand, Sawada. We, the Vindicé, come to know everything that happens within Ríki Töfra one way or another, be it by force or the whispers of the winds."

Appalled, Tsuna remained unable to formulate anything coherent. Even if he could, he had a feeling it would come out as frail and easily susceptible to Bermuda's austere words. He clutched his aching chest as his heartbeat sped up.

"Iemitsu was one sly bastard, but his work caught up to him eventually. I heard his end was quite pathetic, really. Seems like his gambles were all for naught. Deplorable, isn't he–"

"Shut up!"

Bermuda stopped, slightly shocked to be cut off so firmly. Tsuna's head was down and his bangs shadows his eyes, while his hand was still on his chest, trying to calm his heart.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up," Tsuna repeated numbly until his voice dulled to a murmur. "Don't speak ill of my father."

Bermuda sighed heavily in exasperation. "What is there to be worked up about? You resent him, don't you?"

Tsuna miserably kept his mouth shut, unable to find the heart to neither confirm nor deny it.

"I can imagine. He barely spared you any thought. Do you know why he never visited? Why he was always 'too busy' to spend time with you? I'm positive you do."

_Because he hated you._

Tsuna tightly squeezed his eyes shut, willing the notion away. He had tried; tried for so many years to believe in his father, to understand him. However, he could hardly remember their last meaningful moment together. As he grew up, he began to doubt the affection he received from the other. _If you love me so much, why don't you come home more often?_

Back then, was it really love he had felt in his father's actions? It hadn't just been his imagination, right? _'You're not the horrible father I label you as, right, Dad? You love Mom and I a lot, right?'_ Tsuna asked the depths of his mind, calling upon the sliver of hope he still had for his father. Tears rolled down his cheeks and he hastily rubbed at them. He knew he was never going to get an answer. He had lost his chance the day his father died. His questions would stay unanswered, and he would someday be swallowed by his despair. Falling deeper and deeper to the bottom...

"_But I know his greatest pride was you."_

"That voice–" Tsuna said quietly, recognition flitting past him.

All of a sudden, the rushing sound that flooded his ears cleared. His muddled thoughts were soothed and harmonized. The pain in his chest ebbed away, and Tsuna could finally breathe in freely. He kept his eyes closed as he enjoyed the relief, unaware of his magic flaring a bit until a familiar sensation hit his skin.

Checking his shoulder, Tsuna found Leon perched snugly on top of it. Leon's tongue attached itself to Tsuna's cheek a second time before retracting.

"Leon..?" Tsuna inquired uncertainly. He was awarded with another sticky lick. _'I guess my magic control is more unstable than I expected.'_

Bermuda blinked. Could this be? Did that bout of magic truly happen? This was going along better than he had hoped. Sawada would be such useful bait. At first, Bermuda intended to use him because of his family connections with the Vongola, but grew fairly disheartened when he learned Tsuna knew practically nothing of it. Now this had come along. Summoning a live creature through magic – something perceived as impossible to achieve – was the ultimate lure for weeding out Checkerface.

A wicked smile crawled across Bermuda's lips as he reached an epiphany. _'My plan... if it works, then–!'_ He laughed in absolute glee, causing Tsuna to warily focus on him. "I will refrain from punishing you. I'm feeling generous, so I'll give you another chance – a last strike, if you will," Bermuda said, eying the other with cynical satisfaction.

Tsuna's eyes widened in surprise. He was being let off the hook? Why? Leon scooted closer to Tsuna's neck and licked him again. Eyes softening, Tsuna pet him gently in reassurance. "I'll be fine, Leon." The green reptile climbed onto Tsuna's head and peered over his forehead. Tsuna looked up to meet his gaze. Leon stared unblinkingly for a while before giving up. He tapped Tsuna's head twice, as if to say, "Be careful," and left with a glow of magic.

Tsuna turned his attention back onto Bermuda to see him flexing his fingers."This does not mean you are free to leave," Bermuda stated. In an instant, he appeared in front of Tsuna and slammed him down, pressing him into the ground with alarming force. "You have broken a law, Sawada; that is and will always be a fact that rings true."

Tsuna grabbed onto the arm that threatened to crack his ribs and tried to lessen the pressure. The air in his lungs dissipated and he found himself unable to utter a sound.

"We desire compensation." Bermuda weakened his hold until Tsuna could breathe somewhat. Black flames engulfed his other hand, and he was about to take action before his senses peaked. He jumped back from Tsuna to his previous position. Jager, who instantly assumed a fighting stance, swiftly materialized by his side.

Bermuda scowled when he caught sight of the incoming danger. "Luce..."

"It's been a while, Bermuda, Jager." Luce calmly emerged from one of the corridors leading into the catacomb they inhabited. Following her came Reborn as he scanned the place with a piqued interest.

Propping himself up on a forearm and nursing his chest, Tsuna rasped, "R-Reborn? Head Mistress?"

Luce's eyes darted to Tsuna before returning to Bermuda. An orange aura started leaking out of her body as she growled vehemently, "Bermuda!"

"Tch." Bermuda called upon his magic, too. "What a pleasant surprise, Luce. Or should I say Arancia?"

Luce bristled on the inside. "Do not refer to me by that name."

"Why? Decided to abandon your past?"

Silence took its hold for a minute. With a breath, Luce regained her composure. The aura subsided, and she walked over to Tsuna. "It's not something I'm fond of remembering," she stated out loud, while helping Tsuna up. Reborn remained where he was, studying the scene taking place.

"You should be more sincere with your fellow victim, _Arancia_. Have you forgotten? Technically, we're of the same 'kin', so to speak," Bermuda replied while lighting a flame with his fingertip. "Able to use magic despite the restrictions of a Verktaki."

Reborn's eyes widened. He'd have to file that for later.

Luce wavered momentarily before saying, "I have nothing to do with you nor with the Vindicé. I only ask of you the release of my students."

"They have broken the law. We will let him go on a pardon, but the ones in the dungeon have surely grasped the consequences of their actions by now. Even you cannot stop us from punishing them."

Luce's mouth formed a line as she considered Bermuda's words. He was right, they had broken a law, and not even with her power could she arrange it to be otherwise. But she came in spite of knowing the fact. "How's to a deal, Bermuda?"

Bermuda's eyebrows quirked at that. Luce was never one to involve herself with petty deals under these circumstances. And she knew he was never one to acquiesce, especially if it clashed with the matters of a felony.

"I could help you with... him. In exchange, you return my students."

Bermuda scoffed. "As _rewarding_ as it would be to have your assistance, I must decline. Though, while we're on the topic of compromise, I do have a proposition. The next time he," Bermuda pointed to Tsuna, "breaks the law, I have him with no complaints."

Luce's features sharpened and she immediately answered, "No–"

"Head Mistress... Um, if I may, I say we agree," Tsuna put in.

Luce turned to him with a stern face. "Tsuna," she warned. He didn't understand what he was getting into. She knew Bermuda never compromised unless it dealt with _him_.

"I-It's not like I'll do it again. All I need is to learn all of them, then I'll be more careful."

"Tell you what," Bermuda proposed, "I'll make it easier. This will only apply if our most revered law is crossed. That is, if you use magic without authorization or a license in public."

Luce still seemed reluctant to accept. She cast Tsuna a worried glance.

"Don't let it trouble you, Head Mistress, I will personally make it so dame-Tsuna stays in line," Reborn assured. Tsuna gulped audibly as he imagined what staying "in line" would entail.

After a while, Luce relented begrudgingly. Bermuda brought out the students who were cooped up in the dungeon, shivering from the cold. Luce berated them for consciously disobeying the law, giving them a small frown of disapproval while they guiltily stared at the floor. They were sent back to the university with the use of one of the Vindicé's portals. Afterward, Luce rounded on Bermuda with interrogative questions, none of which he actually answered straight-forwardly.

Reborn strolled over to Tsuna during the process and lightly hit the top of his head. "You idiot. I told you to go to your room and rest."

"M'sorry," Tsuna mumbled.

"... I'm doubling your training tomorrow."

"W-what–!"

"And halving the time."

"But–"

"And adding in a tutoring session afterward."

"All that will definitely kill me! Reborn!"

"Come on, dame-Tsuna, it's time to leave." Reborn started going over to where Luce was, who appeared to have finished her conversation with Bermuda.

"But Reborn!" Tsuna followed him, despite his whining.

Reborn continued in the direction of the exit, ignoring Tsuna's protests. Luce had already gone through the warp hole, motioning for them to do the same beforehand. As Reborn approached it, he examined it more closely. It was magic he had never seen before, and was quite intriguing to experience first-hand. Just what attribute was it? With one last look, he stepped through.

Tsuna trudged forward, in the midst of taking his leave, when he caught Bermuda's voice. The portal closed as the words wrapped around his ears.

"Sawada, the Vindicé chose to spare your life. Do take care not to forget."

**LINESLINESLINES**

Just so you guys know, "Ríki Töfra" more or less means "Magic Kingdom", which basically, in the Vindicé's case, refers to the living world.

Again, sorry for the long wait! I'll have the second part up soon! Thank you for reading!


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